Bad Dog II
by CanaanAlphardForever
Summary: [42] Trouble brews in the horizon, and Ymir might need to rise up to the challenge if she is ever to protect Krista. Sequel to Bad Dog. AU. I highly suggest you read the first story first if you haven't. Dude, trust me.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey everyone! It's been a long time, but the sequel is finally here. I was originally going to only post it when it's finished, but… I'm basically gonna take years to do that. Therefore I am posting it now in order to ensure that I actually write the story. Receiving reviews and knowing that people are waiting for the next chapter will motivate me to continue with the story. So please, if I don't update in a while pester me about it. That usually helps.

So, Bad Dog II will delve a lot deeper into the supernatural aspect that Bad Dog sorely missed. We will discover lots about the inner workings of the cynans and possibly even the lycans. I really hope you guys enjoy this one too, because it's going to be a blast to write.

Unfortunately updates will be irregular, and I apologise in advance. But it's here now, and I'm totally ready to start this new journey with all of you.

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Chapter 1:

Steam lifted from Ymir's brow as the wound on her skin closed quickly. With the little drops of blood, sweat trickled down her skin as well. Her chest heaved hard and her eyes darted around her, all senses on high alert. Behind her there was a sudden thud and when Ymir turned sharply she was attacked from behind.

Sharp claws sliced into her bared back, not too deep but enough to pierce skin and shed blood. The brunette hissed loudly and swung around to claw back, but the space behind her was empty. Other sounds distracted her and each time she turned those claws shot out and scratched her. At least they healed as quickly as they appeared, and disappeared with a torrent of steam, but that didn't lessen the amount of pain. Ymir wasn't weak, she could definitely handle pain, but it wasn't at all pleasant.

A shake of the tree to Ymir's left alerted her that her attacker would jump from above, and for once Ymir managed to look up in time and dodge the teeth and claws aimed at her shoulder. When her attacker landed on the ground on all fours, teeth bared and lips curled back in a nasty snarl, Ymir felt the hairs at the back of her neck rise. Her skin tightened and itched and she resisted the urge to shift. Her teeth and claws were out, however, and now Ymir's eyes were glowing in anger.

The attacker bounded forward again and Ymir immediately stepped to the side, successfully evading another slash. With each new dodge Ymir gained in confidence and within a minute she was dodging attacks with ease, either stepping, sliding or jumping out of the way. Though not each attack was evaded and Ymir still suffered a wound here and there.

By now sweat was pouring down Ymir's body. She was nude, from head to toe. In situations like these clothes was only a hindrance, so it was best to simply undress and fight from there. Unlike other times Ymir wasn't as exhausted as she would have been. But now her body was starting to ache, especially since she had resisted the natural urge to change.

When her attacker jumped forward again, ready to bite, Ymir reached out instead of dodging. She grabbed her attacker by the scruff of the neck and then threw with all of her might, sending her assailant flying over her shoulder and into a tree. The blow was so powerful that the tree cracked halfway through the centre.

Ymir smirked in satisfaction but that was quickly wiped off of her face when hands grabbed a hold of her neck and her feet were swept out from underneath her. The world spun and then Ymir fell onto her back with a painful thud, the air whooshing out of her lungs.

"Fuck," Ymir cursed harshly and struggled against the hands clenched around her neck and glared up into the glowing blue eyes on top of her.

"That hurt," Nanaba said evenly. Her hands quickly disappeared from Ymir's throat but she still sat on top of her and stretched her long arms above her head to pin point where she'd been hurt the most.

Ymir rubbed at her neck and grunted. "Sorry."

Nanaba paused in stretching and glanced back down at Ymir under her. "Ymir, we are training your reflexes and ability to evade attacks. You are supposed to focus on moving out of the way, not attacking." She flinched when she felt the ache in her shoulder. It had been dislocated when Ymir had thrown her into the tree, but luckily it was already back into place and on its way to healing.

"How the hell am I supposed to be okay with you having the advantage? If I can attack then I can at least stand a chance." Ymir sighed unhappily and splayed her arms out to her sides. "Besides, your teeth and claws are sharp and it fucking hurts."

Nanaba sighed deeply. "We've been at this for weeks now. When it comes to offense you're at my level, but you can't go onto the defence to save your life."

"Yeah, well–"

"No, seriously," Nanaba said, interrupting Ymir. She stood and helped the brunette to her feet. "I need you to get this, Ymir. We are so close to getting you ready."

Ymir squinted. "Ready for what?"

"Ready to be a full grown cynan, Ymir." Nanaba sighed in exasperation and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Come on, one more time."

Ymir groaned. "Do we seriously have to? I'm insanely tired."

"Yes we seriously have to," Nanaba replied, already preparing herself to shift. She spared Ymir one more glance and then her eyes began to glow and her entire body phased out with a cloud of steam, and when she emerged she was standing on all fours, tail swinging back and forth.

_Let's cover the basics again, yeah?_

Ymir tiredly wiped at her face but nodded.

Nanaba approached Ymir and paused right in front of her. In her cynan form she was huge. Her cynan body was almost similar in size to a horse, but slightly smaller, towering over Ymir. Her eyes were an unnatural but beautiful glowing blue, and when she opened her mouth Ymir caught sight of her sharp canines. Short, blonde fur covered the entire length of Nanaba's large body. Her shoulders were broad and her head held high, the pride in her stance, at her heritage, obvious. She even struck awe in Ymir, and the brunette couldn't help it since she still felt like a pup even though she was in her twenties. Nanaba had been doing the cynan thing for most of her life, Ymir hadn't. The blonde was fluid and dangerous with her movements, Ymir still had a lot to learn.

_We have sharp teeth and claws. A cynan, or even a lycan, will first start off with a swing of the paw. When they go for the throat with their teeth then you know they are aiming for the kill. If your enemy swipes at you from any direction, keep yourself sensitive to the shift in the air in order to feel which direction the blow will come from. _

Nanaba lifted her arm and swung it down at Ymir but paused just before her sharp claws sliced through the skin on her chest.

_We aim for the heart. Use your forearms to block the claws, and then either distance yourself or go in for a bite to the jugular or a punch to the sternum. The latter will give you a few seconds while the cynan or lycan recovers._

Ymir nodded, knowing this well enough but keeping her full attention on Nanaba's voice inside of her head. She followed the blonde cynan's actions when she swung her arm again, knowing that she wouldn't pause to spare words this time. As Nanaba had instructed Ymir threw her arm out and knocked the paw away, and while Nanaba began to swing again, Ymir used the palm of her hand, her fingers curled slightly, to slam against Nanaba's furry chest. The strength of the blow sent Nanaba flying back a few feet before she stopped her momentum and caught her balance.

_Jesus, I never get used to your strength._

Ymir didn't spare time to grin. Instead she beckoned Nanaba forward. "Let's continue."

Nanaba's ears perked in surprise. _ As you wish._ The blonde melted away into the trees and Ymir took that as her cue to return to her earlier spot.

Almost immediately Ymir closed her eyes and focused her senses. With a deep, calming inhale of fresh air, Ymir felt the surroundings flood into her senses. She heard each rustle of the trees, felt each brush of air on her skin. When the wind shifted the tiniest, and air brushed against her back she instinctively knew that Nanaba would come from that direction.

Ymir tensed her body, biting her tongue hard to distract herself from turning unconsciously due to the threat, and then she swung around and knocked Nanaba's paw away just as it swiped at her. As Nanaba landed in a crouch Ymir jumped to the side and then she rose back onto her feet and jumped into the air to dodge the blonde lunging for her.

Nanaba growled deeply, as threateningly as she could, and disappeared amongst the trees again. She stayed hidden for a longer period this time, and when she eventually did emerge it was done slowly, with calculated, quiet steps taken towards Ymir.

The brunette's body trembled, but she kept herself in check and made sure to watch each and every movement that Nanaba made. It was frustrating not being able to simply turn. But that wasn't the mission for the day. Ymir's focus had completely changed, and she now wanted to get this right and move on.

Nanaba could sense the change from her. Earlier Ymir had been irritable and stubborn. Now she looked fierce and determined. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly, and the sight made Nanaba's thin lips curl back over her teeth in an awkward smile that looked more frightening considering her current body, than anything.

This time the attack didn't happen in an instant. Nanaba took her time to lazily circle around Ymir, as if her fellow cynan was her intended prey and next meal. The blonde's eyes were narrowed and just as fierce as the brown ones scrutinizing her, and her nails dug deeply into the soil with each heavy step she took. Softly at first, a deep growl emanated from her chest and rattled through Ymir's very core.

An instinct to defend herself consumed Ymir, and when she saw the twitch in Nanaba's right shoulder she knew how she would attack, so when Nanaba launched at her with such speed that she was almost a blur, Ymir was fast enough to drop to her knees and bend backwards just as the blonde cynan sailed over her.

Nanaba seemed genuinely surprised. Her mistake was glancing down at Ymir below her, because she then lost her rhythm and ended up crashing into the closest tree.

Ymir watched her do it, and at last she could not hold it in anymore and she transformed in a below of steam, laughing in a spurt of amusement as she did it. Her human laugh turned into a growling chuckle and by the time her two feet had turned to four Ymir was on her back, convulsing and scratching her paws over her face in her amusement. Her long, brown-furred body curled with her and each time she laughed her shoulders spasmed.

Nanaba stood and sneezed loudly to rid the blood from her sinus. The bleeding quickly stopped and her jaw hurt, but she had no other injuries except for the ones to her pride. She immediately bounded over to Ymir and closed her teeth around one of Ymir's ears.

_Ouch, shit, shit shit let me go!_ Ymir cried out internally.

Nanaba released a gruff growl in amusement and released the ear to sit down right on top of Ymir.

_That was mean,_ Nanaba thought.

_It was funny! Please get off of me, you're heavy._

Ymir was significantly smaller than Nanaba. Her little confidence in her ability was to blame for it, and she was partly intimidated by Nanaba. The first time she had seen the blonde in her true form had been both frightening and sobering. Ymir had, however, doubled in size since she had been the "dog" Krista had found on the road.

Nanaba sighed through her nose and reluctantly got onto her paws. She scratched at the ground once in warning and then turned her head up towards the sky. She took a tentative sniff, eyes closed.

_We should head back, it's almost midnight._

Ymir shook her fur to get the leaves and dirt off of it and then she trotted up beside Nanaba and rubbed her head against the blonde's shoulder – an instinctive show of apology. Nanaba took it with a short nod.

_Yeah, shit Krista is probably pissed that I'm late again._

Nanaba sighed as they started to run. _I'm sorry Ymir. _

Ymir rolled her eyes and sped up faster, overtaking Nanaba and running ahead of her as if she was the alpha.

They had been training in a private area just outside of town. There were many large and lush trees, with a small pond somewhere nearby as a source of water and small animals for food. Of course, Ymir and Nanaba never became hungry enough to hunt. That was still one of the lessons left for the brunette. As civilized as she wanted to be, Ymir was still a cynan. She would need the skills to hunt and kill if she was ever to survive as one of her kind.

_So did I pass, teach'?_

_You did. That last move surprised me. I think we'll go over the other defence moves tomorrow, and then we'll move on to other things._

_What other things could there be? I thought you said that I'm almost ready?_

Nanaba paused beside the road they had been following to turn and regard Ymir seriously. Ymir paused too and her ears folded back in worry that she had made Nanaba angry.

_You've been training for a year. There is still much to teach you. _

Ymir released a long string of relieved air and then she padded by Nanaba and lightly bumped her with her hip. _Yeah, yeah. _She threw a glance over her shoulder and then she started running again.

Nanaba rose to the challenge, running up beside her. For most of the distance she controlled her pace to stay close to the younger cynan, but when they reached the city and the many bright lights disturbed the natural dark, Nanaba tensed her strong muscles and ran as fast as she could, shooting right by Ymir and crossing the street in a blur.

Ymir yelped in absolute surprise, and then she lowered her head and straightened her ears, growling in displeasure. She imagined herself growing even stronger, and her body reacted. Just like Nanaba, Ymir ran at full speed and within seconds they both jumped over the fence to Krista's home and crashed into a pile against the back porch.

"What the hell was that?" Ymir asked after shifting back into her human form. They had to change the instant they had landed, in case the neighbours saw anything. Though they were both naked now, and it was late, and Nanaba had landed right on top of Ymir and she was now sitting on top of her, so they probably looked even stranger than two giant dogs would have.

"Do you seriously think I've been racing you at full speed this whole time?"

Ymir's eyes narrowed. "I kept up with you, asshole."

"Just barely. That wasn't even my full, full speed."

Ymir laughed. "Bullshit. One day we will have an official race and I'll make you eat my dust."

Nanaba's eyebrow lifted high. She crossed her arms over chest, covering her exposed breasts, and chuckled lightly. "You really act like a pup."

Ymir bristled at the comment, as she always did, and mimicked Nanaba by folding her arms over her chest too. "So fucking what. You act like-"

"Ymir?" Their argument was interrupted when Krista's voice echoed from the house and then the blonde stepped outside a few moments later. She immediately sputtered and covered her eyes with her hands when she saw a naked Nanaba straddling a naked Ymir. Not to mention they were both glistening in sweat and covered in blood and dirt. "Uh… y-you both are naked."

Ymir was about to reply that she was pointing out the obvious, but Nanaba suddenly stood and spoke before she could.

"I'm sorry, Krista. I seem to keep Ymir away longer than I should." Nanaba went over to their pile of clothes that they had left in Krista's backyard earlier that day and then she quickly dressed herself. When she was covered she went over and handed Ymir's clothes to her.

"So how did training go?" Krista had uncovered her eyes and yawned loudly. She looked like she had just been asleep, and Ymir could smell the faint scent of their bed on her. She knew then that her love had been asleep, and she felt bad for waking her up like this.

"Mm," Nanaba finished taking a long sip of water from her bottle that had been left with the clothes and then gestured towards Ymir with a nod. "She struggled a lot today."

"Really? Ymir, are you giving Nanaba a hard time?"

Ymir laughed humourlessly and snatched the bottle out of Nanaba's hand to get rid of her own dry throat and thirstiness. "Yes I am. But I'm improving"

Both blondes blinked that Ymir admitted it, and then they sighed. Krista did smile though, finding her lover's stubbornness cute on top of being annoying. "Is it still the defence thing?" Krista asked.

Nanaba nodded. "She isn't fast enough to dodge my attacks and she always ends up breaking one of my bones when she gives up and attacks me back. Though she did get what I was trying to say at the end of it. She surprised me, actually."

Ymir gave the bottle back to Nanaba and then leaned down to peck Krista on the lips. "How was your day though? I'm sorry that we woke you like assholes."

"Oh, it was okay. I did some shopping with Sasha, and you don't need to apologise for waking me. I was waiting for you anyway."

Ymir knew instantly that Krista had fallen asleep in her pursuit to wait for Ymir, but she decided not to mention it since the little blonde was exhausted. "Let me guess, she nearly bought all of the food again?"

Krista giggled.

Nanaba asked, "Is Sasha really that obsessed with food?"

Ymir and Krista shared a look before they nodded in sync, Krista's nod being the more serious one, though it was a lot lazier due to how tired she was. "She's a chef at a restaurant in town, but she's been in love with food since I can remember."

Nanaba nodded. "She sounds amusing."

This time Ymir laughed. "She's an idiot."

Even though Ymir and Krista had been visiting Nanaba for well over a year and a half now, that being the amount of time it had been since meeting her, the tall blonde hadn't met any of Krista's friends. At first it was because Nanaba was so busy with training Ymir, but then it was more of the fact that Nanaba didn't feel comfortable with a group of people she didn't know. Ymir teased her that she was shy, but really, Nanaba just didn't want to impose.

Nanaba retrieved her watch from her pocket and glanced at the time. "Alright you two, it's already past midnight. Krista, I apologise for keeping your mate away for so long."

Krista blushed at the term, still not used to it, but dazedly waved her hands. "Oh no, it's fine, really!"

Nanaba offered a charming smile and then put her arm around Ymir's shoulders and roughly grabbed the back of her neck. "Tomorrow we'll try again. Stop acting like a pup and concentrate harder. We can't waste any more time." There was an undercurrent of urgency in her voice that Ymir obviously didn't hear but Krista did, and she took a good look at Nanaba as the tall blonde scolded her lover. She looked tense and it probably wasn't just because of the training they had done.

Ymir growled angrily and rolled her eyes. "Yes, _mom_."

They both stared at each other through narrowed eyes, and then they both shivered in disgust and Nanaba quickly withdrew her arm. "Stop being creepy and put your mate to bed. She looks like she's about to fall over."

Ymir laughed at the awkwardness and nodded. "I will. So, tomorrow, same time?"

Nanaba nodded and followed the couple through the house to the front door.

"Oh, Nanaba!" Krista grabbed onto Nanaba's wrist to stop her and quickly looked up at the tall blonde. "Would you like to have dinner with us tomorrow? I meant to ask you when you and Ymir were about to head off this morning but I kind of forgot."

"Thank you for the offer Krista but unfortunately I have something important to do." Krista visibly deflated and Ymir glared at Nanaba for disappointing her. Nanaba saw both reactions and sighed guiltily. "No really, I'm visiting Adrian tonight and I'll probably sleep there and have dinner with him tomorrow. I promise to make it next time, is that alright?"

Krista brightened. "Sure!" She gave Nanaba a tight hug around the waist.

Ymir's expression made Nanaba linger back for a second. "Listen, stop being such a loser and visit us sometime. If you're lonely then let us know." Ymir felt uncomfortable with what she was suggesting, but she felt a strong kinship with Nanaba and she did possibly even care about her.

Nanaba was strong, serious, skilled and impossibly determined. She also carried a heavy sense of sadness and loneliness with her, and Ymir had learnt to smell it just by being around her. It bothered Ymir, and maybe it was also an instinct to help a fellow cynan.

The tall blonde smiled charmingly and grabbed Ymir's wrist to give it a firm squeeze. "Thank you Ymir, I'll remember that."

Ymir grinned and squeezed back, her hand around Nanaba's wrist, and then she let go and Nanaba walked out of the front door and down the pathway to the driveway. "Try not to kick my ass too hard tomorrow!" the brunette yelled after Nanaba had approached her car and unlocked the door.

Nanaba chuckled and waved. When she had climbed in and driven down the street, her amused and happy smile immediately dropped and her eyes drained of affection. The cynan woman tightened her hands on the steering wheel, and then she hurried to Adrian's shop.

Once there she let herself in through the backdoor and found the old man sitting by the counter in the store despite the time. He had probably been expecting her

"Hey Adrian," Nanaba spoke up, but she knew that he had already sensed her. "Any news?"

Adrian didn't look at her but he did hand a newspaper over to her by sliding it along the table. "There's been another murder." Right down to business.

"_**Man found slashed to pieces in dirty alleyway; could this be the work of a serial killer or a wild animal?" **_

Nanaba read the first line of the article and then she cursed softly and tossed the paper onto the table. "Do you think there is a possibility?" she asked.

Adrian stood up to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, finding that Nanaba was already tensed and stiff. "I wish it wasn't true, but these murders have been going on for a year. By the looks of the injuries… it can only be the work of one creature."

"How can we know for sure?"

"The others have been getting restless, Nanaba. You can sense it too."

Nanaba bit her lip. "I was hoping they would only pass through."

"They've settled here." Adrian pulled the tall blonde with him to the back room and sat her down on a chair. He then occupied himself by making tea for them both. "Is she ready yet?"

"No. Ymir is definitely strong, very strong, but she lacks the determination and seriousness. She hasn't completed her training yet."

"Then we must wait and bide our time."

"But what if they act first and we aren't ready?"

Adrian glanced over his shoulder. "You aren't the only one unsettled by their presence. I've had the others come to me for reassurance. I warned them all to prepare for a fight."

"Does it always have to come down to a damn fight?"

Nanaba was more anxious than usual and Adrian could see it. But he understood why. Unlike most, Nanaba experienced first-hand the terror they were sure to experience too. She had been victim, and now she was determined to prevent others from suffering the same misfortune.

"If I can't get Ymir ready soon then her mate is in danger. Krista is the most wonderful human I have ever met. She doesn't deserve to be harmed in any way."

"So why don't you warn them?" Adrian placed a cup of tea in front of Nanaba, but she didn't notice. He sat down beside her, wise eyes watching her normally calm face.

"I don't want them to panic. Ymir especially. She might even be the first one to act if I explain the situation to her."

Adrian took a thoughtful sip of tea. "Then continue as you have now. If they make a move you will be the first to know."

"Thank you."

"It won't happen again, you know. I won't allow their kind to do that to you."

Nanaba stood from the table and smiled. "Thanks Adrian, but I didn't train as hard as I have all these years to be so easily overtaken by them again. This time I am ready. My main concern is those two." She downed the tea in one giant gulp. "I'm gonna head upstairs for a shower. Training got me really dirty today. Can I sleep over tonight?"

"Of course," Adrian said with a smile. He stood and followed Nanaba out of the room and up the stairs to the apartment above the shop. He pulled a blanket and pillow from the lounge closet and then dropped them down on the couch. "Would you like me to let the others know you're here?" he asked.

Nanaba was busy covering the couch with the blanket and situating the pillow. "No. Honestly, I'm exhausted. But I'd like to go around the city tomorrow and check for scents again. Could you let them know to meet me then?"

Adrian merely nodded and then he watched as Nanaba left the lounge for the small bathroom down the hall to his left. A strange eeriness filled the room, and he quickly went to lock the windows and doors because of it.

XxX

A little while after her return Ymir was finally done washing the sweat and dirt from her skin. In doing so she had left Krista alone in bed, though, so when Ymir finally left the bathroom she saw that her blonde lover was asleep while sitting.

Ymir smiled affectionately at this and switched the bathroom light off behind her before tossing her towel into the dark room and padding quietly towards the bed. She climbed in beside Krista and pulled the smaller woman into her arms. Even though she was sure to be gentle, Krista startled slightly and looked up into Ymir's face with bleary, sleepy eyes.

"Ymir? What time is it?"

Ymir chuckled and brushed the hair out of Krista's eyes. She leaned over to switch the lamp off and then lay down with Krista curled up at her side.

"Just after one. It's still early, go back to sleep."

Krista breathed a sigh and snuggled up further. "Tell me about your training," she requested sleepily.

Ymir released a yawn and chuckled afterwards. "Babe, go to sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow. You'll fall asleep halfway through it anyway."

Krista grumbled against Ymir's neck. "Will not." But her voice sounded distant, and a moment later her body relaxed and she fell asleep again. Unfortunately the warmth, clean scent and the comfort of being with Ymir again had relaxed Krista too much, and sleep had been inevitable.

While the blonde fell deeper into unconscious Ymir yawned again, and then she glanced outside of the window at the moon. It was half full, and the sight sent a strange shiver through Ymir's body. She didn't quite know what to make of it, and because of that she decided to ask Nanaba about it the next day.

With a tired sigh, Ymir buried her nose in Krista's soft hair and then she closed her eyes and fell into just as deep a sleep.

* * *

_I'm never one to ask for this, but please review with your thoughts and questions and such. I mean it when I say that it helps with my motivation, and I seriously don't want to be an asshole and take forever to update. I won't beg, so I'm asking nicely. Please?_

_Also, I will be responding to guest reviews __on Tumblr__ by screen-capping them and then posting them. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

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Soft, foggy breaths left Ymir's flaring nostrils as her four legs moved in sync. Wind roared past her ears and the brunette cynan closed her eyes for a second to enjoy the sensation tickling through her fur, and then her eyes re-opened and she pumped her legs harder to fly faster over the ground. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the peaceful air as the large canine sped through the forest, swerving past, ducking under and jumping over fallen trees. A bird dove down and Ymir barked at it, causing the creature to rethink its flight plan and hastily fly the other way.

Ymir internally chuckled, and then she allowed her tongue to loll out and she continued to enjoy the wind as she ran. Beside her, keeping just by her side, Nanaba ran too though she didn't seem as relaxed and in fact was more focused on their surroundings. The much larger cynan kept her head down as she ran.

Nanaba's hackles were up and eventually Ymir noticed it. They only stopped when they reached the clearing they often used for training.

The area looked as it always did, though it smelt strange. Nanaba circled the area, sniffing at the ground. A low growl started in her throat and Ymir's ears folded back in alarm.

_Nanaba?_

_A wolf has been here._

Ymir instinctively growled and lifted her head to sniff the air. The scent was faint but it was there, and it tickled her nose and caused her to sneeze.

_Why would a lycan be here of all places?_

Nanaba circled the area once more until she had snuffed the scent out with her own, and then she regarded the trees for a long, silent moment. She contemplated the situation, and then she turned to Ymir and shifted back to her human form.

"We should skip training today."

Ymir remained a cynan. _What? Seriously?_ Part of her was worried, because this would mark the first day that they had ever skipped training, but getting off would be nice and that meant she could spend the day with her love.

Nanaba merely nodded, face impassive. "Head back home and spend the day with your mate. I'll come by later." She didn't wait for a response and quickly disappeared where she had stared earlier, still human and naked.

Ymir tilted her head as she watched her teacher leave, and then she shrugged her large shoulders and ran back the way they had come. This time Ymir had driven them out with her car, so she followed their scent back to it. Once there she shifted and then dressed in the clothes she had discarded only ten minutes ago.

Behind the wheel, Ymir paused in starting the car when she heard an unfamiliar howl. The sound sent shivers down her back, and without thinking, she reversed and sped back towards the city.

She hoped Nanaba was okay.

XxX

After Ymir and Nanba had left that morning Krista found herself meeting Petra for coffee. It was quite early, but Ymir seemed more determined than usual to train this time. Hopefully Ymir had decided to take things more seriously, and Krista would be glad for it if she did, since Nanaba was trying her hardest and using her free time to teach Ymir everything she needed to know.

It was cold and windy outside, as well as gloomy due to the glowering clouds filling the sky. As Krista walked across the parking lot to the café she glanced up at the sky and felt a twinge of nostalgia, remembering that it was round this time the previous year and a half that she had met Ymir. It had also been gloomy like it was now. The crack of thunder and small droplets of rain made Krista fasten her pace, and once inside of the building she took a breath of relief but swallowed hard when her body didn't relax.

It was odd, she suddenly felt fearful and sick to her stomach, but then she spotted Petra waving at her and the negative emotions immediately washed away. Krista wondered if she had even really felt that or if it had just been her imagination.

"Good morning, oh cousin of mine!" Petra greeted cheerfully the moment the smaller blonde sat down across from her. She frowned at the perturbed look on Krista's face and leaned forward to wave her back to reality. "Krista, is everything alright? Is Ymir okay?"

Krista blinked in surprise and then grinned and waved her hands. "Oh no, sorry! Everything is fine. I just got this weird feeling and it creeped me out a bit."

"Weird feeling?"

"It's gone now though, so forget about it. How have you been?"

Petra's frown faded and she released a loud, dramatic sigh as she slumped forward. "Not as wonderful as you have been, I'm sure."

Krista lifted an eyebrow. "Are you still jealous?"

"Nooo…" Petra laughed at the stern look on her cousin's face. "Okay, maybe a little."

"I'm sure you'll find someone one day. When I think about it, I should really introduce you to Nana-"

Suddenly Krista's sentence was interrupted by a waiter that appeared by the table. "May I take your order, miss?" His smile was so friendly that Krista didn't complain about the rude interruption. Instead she gave the man her order for coffee and Petra did the same. Once he had left the two turned back to each other and smiled.

"You were saying?" Petra said.

"Oh yeah! Uh… what was I saying?" Krista's brows furrowed and she struggled to remember what she had been about it say. It felt like something important, but for the life of her it was completely gone. The blonde merely shrugged, deducing that it wasn't so important if she forgot so easily.

"So, why did you need me here so urgently?" Krista asked with a knowing grin. She had received an excited message from Petra just after Ymir had left, and by the tone of the text Krista was sure that Petra had some kind of good news to share.

"Yes!" Petra exclaimed in renewed excitement. She hadn't wanted to blurt her good fortune out all of a sudden, at least not until they had settled and gotten over the pleasantries. "For once life is going my way too," the orange-blonde said with a satisfied grin. "Remember that hospital I applied at?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they want to hire me as a nurse's assistant. To get experience and stuff."

Krista broke out into a bright smile and stood to lean over and hug her cousin tightly. "Oh Petra, that's wonderful!" She sat back down just in time to receive her coffee and continued to smile proudly at her family member.

Petra was just as overjoyed. "I'm starting next week, actually! For now it will be weekends, because exams are closing in. I'm glad that I only have one more year at university."

Krista nodded in understanding. "Yeah, it does feel great to finally be done with school. Finding a job isn't all that better though."

"Oh yeah, how is the job hunting going?"

Krista tentatively sipped at her steaming coffee, wincing slightly at the burn on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't resist taking another sip, though, and ended up placing the cup down with a pout because it was too hot and her tongue hurt now. Petra giggled at her cuteness.

"Well I got a call for an interview, actually! They said they'll call me back with the date and stuff, and I've been waiting."

Petra nodded. "That's getting somewhere. Is Ymir doing anything yet?"

_Well she is training and learning how to properly fight as a supernatural creature, which is something she was actually born as. Right now getting a job isn't her biggest priority, but she is definitely doing something,_ Krista wanted to say. "Not really, but she spends most of her time with a friend," the blonde said instead.

Petra shook her head lightly but knew not to comment. Krista hadn't tried to explain the weird weredog thing again, and Petra had noticed that Krista gave her a lot of half-truths. Whenever she asked questions like the one she just had Krista would furrow her brows slightly and think a little before finally answering.

Petra supposed that Krista was considering her feelings. She still didn't believe it, and hearing her cousin talk about things that shouldn't exist creeped her out.

Petra had no idea what she would actually do if it turned out that Krista was absolutely right and not stupidly wrong.

"Hanging out with a friend?" Petra said lightly. She didn't say anymore, because she didn't want to upset Krista but she was concerned. How could she be okay with her girlfriend just wasting her days away hanging out with a friend?

Despite the insinuation, Krista laughed. "I know how it looks. Ymir is actually a really hard worker. You don't have to worry."

Petra reluctantly let it go. "Okay, sure." She took a heavy sip from her coffee and hummed in delight. "This place makes amazing coffee."

"It does, that's why I always come here. We should invite the others sometime. I miss them."

"Yeah," Petra took a few more healthy gulps. "It's been difficult trying to get everyone together, like we used to. What with Mikasa's pregnancy and everything else."

Krista nodded. A few months ago Mikasa and Sasha had started IVF and the couple were now officially on their way to parenthood. It made Krista happy, but she missed her friends because all of them had their own busy lives now.

"Hey, let's organize a dinner with everyone. We should ask everyone and make sure that they can all come!"

"Yeah, but Reiner and Berthold are busy, remember?"

"Aw, yeah…" Krista nibbled on her lip in thought. "We can ask them nicely! I'm sure they can spend a day away from wedding planning."

Petra shrugged. "We can always ask. I'm actually seeing Berthold tomorrow, so I'll ask him."

"I think Ymir needs to interact with everyone more too. They've gotten used to her, but there's still this feeling that they're all uncomfortable around each other."

Krista had a guess as to why that was. Ymir, now knowing that she isn't human, didn't feel all that comfortable around a bunch of humans. She also still disliked Reiner even though the man was almost married to Berthold. The brunette struggled, but Krista definitely wanted to change that.

"Hey, isn't that Eren?"

Krista turned around and gasped softly. Petra was right. Eren was standing by the counter, probably ordering coffee. Beside him a short, black-haired man tapped his foot impatiently, but it was noted that he had his fingers intertwined with Eren's.

"And isn't that your brother?" Krista asked.

Petra slumped in her chair and sighed. "It is. I hardly see him these days too, he's so busy with Eren."

Levi noticed them and he said a few words to Eren after he did, making the other man turn sharply towards them. Eren immediately smiled brightly and bounded towards them, forgetting the coffee and leaving his boyfriend to stumble and sputter.

"Hey guys!" Eren yelled happily. He practically pulled Krista out of her seat to hug her and then he went over to Petra and offered her a more civilized hug.

"Hang on, how come you nearly break me in half but Petra gets the special treatment?"

Eren straightened and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just excited to see you…"

Petra broke out into a mischievous grin, and Eren saw it which made his face drop. A faint blush dusted over his cheeks and he pleaded with his bright, green eyes.

"He's shy now because I caught him and Levi in–"

"Oi, you left me behind, idiot." Levi interrupted angrily. He shoved a cup of coffee against Eren's chest and glared until Eren took it, which he did with muttered apologies.

"Hi Levi, it's nice to see you again," Krista said with a smile. He nodded in return.

"Anyway, as I was saying…" Petra piped up, still smiling naughtily.

"Petra, please!" Eren yelled.

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is she talking about last week when I handcuffed you to her bed?"

Krista coughed lightly in surprise, Eren whined in defeat and Petra started to laugh.

"Levi!"

Levi allowed a sadistic smirk. "Oh, she was." He hooked a finger around one of Eren's belt loops and then tugged on it. "Sorry ladies, we have somewhere to be." He ignored Eren's protests and waved at Petra and Krista as he dragged his boyfriend out of the shop. Other customers watched them, some shaking their heads.

"Oh wow…" Krista finally commented.

"I know," Petra said with a laugh. The orange-blonde glanced down at her watch. "Oh wow, time goes quickly. I have to be at the hospital in ten minutes."

"Oh, I'll walk you to your car!"

The two paid for their bill and left the warmth of the building for the chilling cold air outside. The wind was picking up, so Petra hurriedly hugged her cousin goodbye and then she quickly got into her car. Krista did the same.

They waved at each other one more time, and then drove out of the parking lot in different directions.

When Krista eventually made it home and parked in the driveway, her phone rang before she could climb out of the car. The blonde relaxed back into her seat and then answered the device as she pulled her seatbelt off.

"Hello?"

"Is this Krista?"

Krista didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded silky and smooth and it strangely put her to ease. "This is her."

"I'm from FM Magazine, and I looked over your CV. Would you be interested in starting next week?"

Krista opened her mouth and then she promptly shut it. Her heart began to pound and it took a long moment for the blonde to regain her breath. "Wh-what?"

The person on the phone chuckled. "I'm sorry, was that too sudden? I'm in charge of hiring new employees and you got the job."

"B-but… an interview…"

"Nah, you don't need that. We just started out a year ago," Krista recalled reading about the new magazine that had recently started. "So we've spent the year getting everything organized. We've started to hire and you are the first choice. Interested?"

"U-um…" Krista swallowed the dryness from her throat.

"Look, how about we meet next week and talk? When are you free?"

"F-Friday?"

"Great, I'll email the time and place."

"Email?"

"It was included in your CV? Expect the email soon. My name is Homura Kagari, by the way. I apologise again for catching you off guard. I look forward to meeting with you, Krista."

Krista took a deep breath. "Th-thank you!"

"Enjoy your day further," Homura said and then the call ended.

Krista lowered the phone from her ear and stared at it for a long moment, and then she slapped her forehead and swore softly. "Why the hell did I act like a moron?!" She should have immediately agreed. FM offered the best pay out of all the places Krista had sent her CV to, and it offered her a chance to work somewhere she always wanted to. She had really hoped to get a job there, and now they were offering one just like that. She could forget about that other interview. The moment she met with Homura she would accept the job.

Despite being mad at herself, Krista was ecstatic. She hopped out of the car and skipped all the way to the door. When she opened the door she paused in the doorway, surprised to see Ymir out cold on the couch.

"Ymir?" The blonde closed the door and softly walked over towards her lover. She knelt down by Ymir's side and reached out to gently brush a lock of hair out of her face. The movement woke Ymir and her eyes fluttered open.

"Krista?" Ymir didn't move, she just rolled over onto her stomach and closed her eyes again.

"Why are you at home?"

"Skipped training today," Ymir mumbled. "Nanaba said she'll come by later."

Krista's brows furrowed. "Did something happen?"

"Dunno, think she just wanted the day off."

"Maybe I should call Adrian."

"Leave 'em alone." Ymir reached out and grabbed Krista's wrist. "Cuddle." She pulled Krista onto the couch with her and turned onto her side so that her love's smaller body could fit on the couch with her.

Krista gasped in surprise, unable to resist against Ymir's strength, and then she curled against Ymir's chest. "Ymir, I'm not tired."

"So what? I wanna cuddle." Ymir buried her nose in Krista's hair and inhaled her intoxicating scent. It made her body relax further, and she almost purred in delight.

"I didn't know that you're a werecat," Krista commented with a grin.

Ymir chuckled. "Dogs can purr too if they want."

Krista didn't argue, she just laughed and then pressed a kiss to Ymir's throat. She paused, inhaled and then cringed. "Ymir, you smell weird. Did you shower when you came back?"

"I was going to but then I just collapsed on the couch and went to sleep."

"You should shower then."

"Nooo, I'm tired."

Krista managed to extract herself from Ymir's arms. Luckily the brunette was tired so she couldn't muster the strength to argue. Falling asleep at this time hadn't been the best idea. Once Ymir went to sleep it took a while for her to wake.

"Are you hungry?" Ymir's stomach growled. "Okay, you are. How about you hop in the shower, I order pizza and then we watch a movie?"

Ymir reluctantly pulled herself up and then she wiped at her face to get rid of some of the sleep. "Fine, just give me a second."

"Okay dear." Krista kissed Ymir's forehead and then left to place the call.

After a lot of convincing and inner turmoil, Ymir stood and stumbled to the shower.

XxX

Nanaba came over much later once night had fallen. It was around eight o'clock when there was a knock at the door and Ymir shouted to Krista that she would get it.

"Hi, Ymir." Nanaba greeted from outside with a grin.

Ymir rolled her eyes and stepped aside for Nanaba to walk in. "Hungry? We have leftover pizza."

Krista emerged from the kitchen and gladly received a tight hug from the much taller blonde, while Ymir watched with her head tilted slightly upwards. "Would you like something to drink?"

Nanaba laughed at their hospitality and waved her hand. "Just a glass of water, please." She went to take a seat on the couch, Ymir sitting beside her, and Krista disappeared into the kitchen to get the water.

"So how was your day off?" Nanaba asked.

"It was alright. The squirt and I just watched movies."

Nanaba noticed the screen, and that what had been playing on it was paused. "I interrupted, didn't I?"

"It's okay," Krista said cheerfully. She placed a glass down on the table in front of Nanaba and then she sat down next to Ymir and leaned into her. "So how come you let Ymir off today?"

Nanaba didn't answer. At first she just took the glass and downed its entire contents in one giant gulp. Ymir titled her head upwards again and tentatively sniffed the air. Her brows furrowed when she smelt a foreign scent on Nanaba.

"Who was it that howled this morning? Whose scent is on you?" Ymir asked suspiciously.

Nanaba chuckled lightly and turned the now empty glass around in her hands. "Can't hide anything from you, huh? At least you've learnt how to tell scents apart." She sighed and set the glass down. "It was just a friend, don't worry."

"Who?" Ymir didn't need to ask to know that it was another cynan. It was a scent similar to their own, but different. Nanaba was currently the only cynan she knew, but Ymir was sure.

"You'll meet soon enough, I'm sure."

"Oh!" Krista exclaimed suddenly, more to herself than to the others. She apologised with a giggle when Ymir and Nanaba turned to her expectantly. "Um… sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just remembered something."

"Remembered what?"

Krista grinned widely and wound her arms around one of Ymir's. She rested her chin against Ymir's shoulder and sighed softly when Ymir nuzzled her forehead and placed a soft kiss there.

"I can't believe that I forgot this. Ymir, you were just so cute this morning." Ymir blushed lightly and she glared when Nanaba didn't hide her chuckle. "Remember that magazine I sent my CV to? Well, they called me and I got the job!"

Ymir scrunched her eyebrows together. "With no interview?"

"Well, I'm meeting with someone from there."

"When?"

"Next week Friday."

Ymir nodded slowly. "Congratulations then. I knew you'd get an awesome job."

"I agree with Ymir. You have a lot of skill, and any employer would lose out not to see that."

Krista blushed at their compliments but took them all with a wide grin. "Heh, thanks you two."

"Mind if I use the bathroom?"

Krista sighed. "Nanaba, you don't have to ask every time."

Nanaba laughed. "Sorry, it's habit." The blonde stood and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut she pulled her phone out and dialled a familiar number. It rang a number of times until the person eventually picked up.

"Nanaba?"

"Hey Adrian, how is she doing?"

Adrian sighed from his end. He had sweat on his brow, and he used the back of his hand to quickly wipe it away. He glanced over his shoulder while he spoke. "Well, the worst of it is passed. The others came over as soon as I sent word. If you hadn't found her when you did, I don't know if we would have been able to save her."

Nanaba sighed softly and rubbed a hand over her face. Realizing that Ymir could possibly hear her, she turned the tab on and then leaned against the sink counter.

"I'm glad I made it in time, and that I sent Ymir away. She would have gone mad if she had been there."

"Nanaba, what actually happened? You left soon after we found you and she hasn't explained it yet. Heck, the girl has been asleep this entire time. I used one of my spells to knock her out because she couldn't handle the pain."

Nanaba released a long breath, and then she stretched her shoulders and nodded to herself. "Okay, so here's what happened…"

XxX

_Nanaba hoped that Ymir would listen to her and return to Krista. If anything, she hoped that the brunette would leave quickly before she caught the scent that was steadily growing stronger, or heard anything that was about to happen._

_Nanaba had smelt a lycan. Not just that, but also the scent of a stranger cynan. The scent of blood also filled the air, and it unpleasantly stung Nanaba's nose. The blonde shifted back into her canine form and made her steps light as she traversed the wilderness and followed the stench up ahead._

_Lycans didn't smell bad. In fact, some cynans thought that their scent was intoxicating, which more often than not led to their death. Nanaba simply felt an instinctual repulsion to the smell of any lycan. _

_As the scent grew stronger and Nanaba drew nearer, the blonde also started hearing the beginnings of nails digging through the soil and of pained whimpers. They were faint, which made Nanaba pump her legs faster and eventually burst through the trees into a short break in the vegetation._

_Almost immediately her hackles rose and Nanaba lowered her head, lips pulling back over her glistening teeth to allow a vicious growl to rip from her chest. In front of her, with a cynan hanging between its teeth, a lycan stood tall. It had angry, muddy brown eyes and long reddish-brown fur. The cynan between its teeth had lush, red fur and was barely moving, possibly to the point of dying because the lycan had its teeth sunk deep into the cynan's throat. The angle at which the cynan hung was painful too, and Nanaba's heart thundered in anger. Even if she didn't know the cynan, she felt enraged that a lycan dared to attack one of her kind._

_The lycan suddenly relaxed its jaw and the cynan fell to the ground, whimpering softly when it did. Blood spurted out and Nanaba panicked. She didn't have time to fight if she wanted to save the red-haired cynan. _

_But there was no option, and when the lycan drew into a tauntingly defensive stance and it started to circle, Nanaba had no choice but to do the same. She had not relaxed her threatening posture or expression once, and instead of pounding in fear like it should have her heart was thudding in adrenalin, anger and excitement. She so badly wanted to rip the damn lycan's throat out, and she would have had the change to, but as the lycan crouched, ready to attack, a howl broke the air and the lycan lifted its head immediately, ears twitching to each direction to pin-point exactly where the howl had come from._

_Nanaba was further infuriated that the lycan did this, taking its eyes away from its enemy while in a stand-off. Was the beast that cocky, that Nanaba wasn't a threat? She was larger than the average cynan, and even though the lycan was still considerably larger, she could very well take it on and not die._

_But the lycan seemed to grow bored, and with a mere snort in her direction it darted off into the trees to follow the sound that had called it home. _

_Nanaba shifted back to her human form and collected the now human redhead into her arms. The girl's throat had been nearly ripped out and Nanaba had about a minute or so to get her to Adrian. Even in human form she could run impossibly fast, so she did. The girl faded into unconsciousness but she kept a firm grip on Nanaba's shoulder to limit how much she moved around while the blonde ran. _

_Even though she was naked, and even though blood ran down the length of her body, Nanaba focused solely on getting the girl to help. To her utter relief a car suddenly stopped in front of her and Adrian stumbled out. A man stepped out of the driver's seat and both of them hurried to attend to the injured cynan who had now stopped breathing._

"_Adrian, where did you come from?!" Nanaba asked in a huff, surely grateful but confused. _

"_We were heading out of town to buy supplies, but it can't be a coincidence. Son, help me put her in the backseat. Drive us back while I quickly stop the bleeding and begin to close the wound." The man with Adrian nodded hurriedly and climbed back into the driver's seat, nodding at Nanaba in greeting before he did so. "Nanaba, what happened?"_

"_Take care of her for now, I'll explain it later. I need to make sure of something," Nanaba answered and then she shifted and ran back in the direction she had come. Her chest was matted with blood, but she ignored it. She wanted to follow the lycan's scent in hopes that she could find its leader. Maybe if she did she could surprise them with an attack. Her mind was running on adrenalin, so she wasn't thinking clearly._

_Unfortunately the scent had ended near a street on the far side of where Adrian had found her. Whoever had called the lycan back had been in a car, and now both of them were gone. For a long time Nanaba merely paced and growled and barked in anger, but then night came and she had to return home to clean up before visiting Ymir as promised. _

XxX

Nanaba released a large breath, and then she flipped the tap off and tapped a finger against her cellphone.

"Ah, so you went in search of the lycan that attacked. Can you remember what it looked like?"

"I can. It was red, with brown eyes."

"Hmmm," the sound of leafing pages filtered through the phone and then Adrian sighed. "Red wolves aren't even from this country. They're found in areas with deserts. What is a red lycan doing here?"

"Adrian, this is the modern world. Anyone can fly anywhere nowadays."

"I guess you're right. Still, wolves generally prefer to stay where they originate. It's a form of pride in their heritage."

"Is she really okay though?"

"She is. The wound is already halfway healed. By tomorrow it should be gone. There's a possibility of scarring, though. She received deep scratches on her right arm and legs. Luckily that's the only areas that will scar. Teeth don't scar like claws do."

Nanaba nodded. "How old is she?"

"Still a pup. From what I can tell she's around nineteen. I can't know how long she has been aware of her cynan self, though."

"I'd like to talk to her when she's well enough."

"I'll call you when she wakes up. Are you with Ymir right now?"

"I am."

"Are you going to tell her?"

Nanaba sighed. "I don't have to. Bye Adrian, stay safe." Before the man could respond Nanaba ended the call, and then she opened the bathroom door and gave Ymir a level look. "Eavesdropping is rude."

Ymir's expression was hard. "I thought that you smelt weird the moment you stepped through the door. You didn't get all the blood off."

"It'll take a few days for the scent to fade."

"What the hell, Nanaba? Since when did you keep serious shit like this from me?"

"Ymir, you have to understand," Nanaba stepped forward and pressed a hand to Ymir's chest, eyes pleading. "You only have me. How will you react to another?"

Ymir shoved the hand off, grabbed Nanaba by the shirt and slammed her into the wall. Her teeth and eyes changed and an unnatural growl fell from her lips. "I can tell when you lie."

Nanaba didn't flinch at the aggression, but her eyes and teeth had changed too out of instinct. "Trust me."

"Why the hell should I trust you?"

Nanaba leaned forward until their noses barely touched. "Look into my eyes. Trust me."

Ymir narrowed her eyes for a long moment, unsure of how she felt about Nanaba keeping things from her. What else was she hiding?

"If you had been there with the lycan, you might have died. I wasn't sure how you would react to it. Seeing a lycan is… it's an experience that is difficult the first time."

This time Ymir sensed the honesty, so she reluctantly let Nanaba go and then she smoothed her shirt out. "Lie to me again and I will personally scar your pretty face," Ymir warned levelly.

Nanaba frowned. "A big threat coming from you."

At this Ymir grinned. "You're my friend, but Krista's safety is my first priority. I need to know if I must protect her from anyone."

Nanaba smoothed her hair back and released a shaky breath. In all honesty, Ymir had scared her a little. The brunette was much, much stronger than she had been a year ago.

"I won't tell Krista of this," Ymir said. "But I expect you to be honest with me. Respect me enough to do that."

Nanaba nodded and then stared after Ymir's back as she walked away. "Ymir, you don't realize how much bigger this is. I'm hoping to get rid of them before you're pulled into it." She whispered softly, too softly for Ymir to hear.

It wasn't just a case of Nanaba worried about Ymir's temper. A lycan could be merciless, and if Nanaba's fears were correct then every cynan in the area would surely suffer a painful death unless they figured out a way to defend themselves. If they couldn't make them leave, then the only option left was to fight.

Running wasn't even a possibility. Those that ran… would be hunted down and mutilated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

* * *

A shrill alarm woke Krista from a deep, contented sleep. The blonde was in bed, her lover curled tightly around her back. Both were naked, and the warmth made Krista sigh deeply because she seriously did not want to get out of bed, but she had to.

Ymir struggled to wake and she most definitely didn't hear the alarm clock. This was amusing considering the fact that her hearing was more sensitive than a dog's.

Reluctantly Krista pushed Ymir's warm arm off of her body and then sat up. For a few seconds she swayed, and then she rubbed both hands over her face, sighed deeply again and turned slightly to regard Ymir.

The brunette hadn't moved an inch, she still snored with her mouth wide open and she looked as peaceful as ever. Krista glared at her.

"Ymir, get up!" She glanced at the clock. It was only five in the morning. They had only slept for what, three hours? The sooner she got Ymir out of bed and ready the sooner she could go back to sleep.

But Ymir didn't respond.

"Ymir!"

Finally some sort of life entered Ymir's body and she twitched ever so slightly. However, she was still asleep, making Krista groan in exasperation. With no options left, Krista pushed Ymir over onto her back and straddled her waist. She shivered lightly because of the chilly air.

"Ymir?" she purred out softly. Krista leaned forward and brushed their noses, pleased to see Ymir's eyes scrunch, and then she kissed her lips softly and cupped the brunette's freckled face in both hands, thumbs caressing circles to coax her into waking.

The tactic was working, as it always did, and Ymir's hands lifted to encircle Krista's small hips. Her chest rumbled softly in happiness and seconds later Ymir's lips began to respond, kissing back lazily at first but gaining in strength as Ymir woke and the sleepiness left her mind. By the time Ymir's hands were roaming and a hungry growl vibrated through Ymir to Krista's chest, Ymir was very much awake.

The only thing about waking her lover in this manner, was that getting up would become the issue. Ymir's desires were on fire, and they wouldn't leave the bed until she was sated. Thankfully Krista didn't mind one bit. Due to their connection she could feel the heated desire from Ymir seep into her pores.

"I'm awake," Ymir mumbled lazily after releasing Krista's lips.

"I noticed," Krista responded.

"You did, did you?"

"Mm," Krista leaned down and brushed their lips once more. "It was either seducing you like this or tossing you out of bed again." She internally cringed at remembering the last time she had been forced to push Ymir out of bed when she refused to wake. Ymir had definitely been unhappy, and that had certainly not been the best start to a nice day. Ymir remembered the occurrence too and she frowned lightly, but then she grinned.

Krista gasped loudly in surprise when Ymir suddenly lifted them and flipped them over, putting Krista on her back underneath her and vulnerable to her fingertips.

"I like the seducing part more," Ymir husked softly against Krista's ear and then she trailed her lips to her throat and pressed strong, heated kisses along the skin there. "The floor hurts."

"It's only your fault because you don't wake up."

"Nanaba keeps me busy all day and you keep me up all night."

At that Krista rolled her eyes. "I think you're the one guilty of that. I did say that we needed sleep last night."

Ymir groaned. "I didn't want sleep last night. I wanted you. I still do, thanks to your wonderful waking method."

"Ymir we don't really have time for this..."

Ymir chuckled as if greatly amused by the thought. "We do."

"Nanaba will be here in an hour."

"She'll know to stay outside."

"We were up all night!"

Ymir growled softly. "Tell me you don't want me right now."

Krista swallowed thickly and lifted her arms to press her hands to Ymir's hot chest. Thanks to the brunette laying on top of her, blanketing Krista's naked skin with her own, the blonde felt none of the cold.

A sharp wave of heat washed over the blonde and she surprised Ymir by pulling her down by the neck for a hard, hungry kiss.

"I do. I want you right now."

"I'll make it quick," Ymir said with a loaded grin.

Krista chuckled and took a hold of Ymir's hand. "Well," she trailed hers and Ymir's hand down the length of her body. Ymir watching the blonde's eyes intently and her lower back began to tingle when a new wave of arousal hit her. Her skin prickled pleasantly, and Ymir leaned forward to bite gently into Krista's shoulder, not piercing the skin, and then Krista released her hand and Ymir guided it herself.

Ymir caressed the soft, velvety skin on Krista's quivering stomach. When she reached her hips, she circled each a number of times before dipping lower and pressing her hand against Krista's thigh.

Krista, breathing heavily and more than ready, wrapped her arms around Ymir's shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut. Breathlessly she said, "Is this your idea of quick?"

Ymir laughed softly. "No fun without a little foreplay." As she said it she moved her hand tantalizingly close and then she quickly withdrew it, making Krista squirm and moan in frustration.

"Ymiiiir!"

Taking that as a command, Ymir finally gave Krista what she wanted and enter her so quickly that the blonde hadn't expected the strength of it. Ymir positioned her hips between Krista's thighs, hand lost between them, and then she started to rock against her mate.

Krista pulled Ymir tighter against her and shuddered violently when Ymir moaned deeply in her ear.

"I love you," Ymir gasped out softly.

"I love you too, my cynan." Krista smiled and arched upwards into Ymir's larger body, her nails slowly digging into Ymir's strong shoulders.

Their hearts joined, and it felt as if everything in the world suddenly made sense as Krista and Ymir moved together. Both felt their chests swell with a familiar emotion, and the moment sent memories flying through Krista's mind. She remembered her first meeting with Ymir, what followed afterwards and everything that happened until now. Tears pickled her eyes slightly due to the force of her emotions, but instead she channelled that into kissing Ymir tenderly and lovingly, with all the emotions she felt.

Ymir felt everything, and her skin began to shiver, sweat slowly trickling down her back. The cold barely touched her, for she was already warm by nature and now even more so thanks to the friction. She curled her arm underneath Krista's body, pulling the blonde closer against her, and slowed the speed of her thrusts. They were still powerful, but calculated and timed just right to make Krista gasp and tingle in the most exquisite of ways.

After a long while of this, both finally uttered guttural moans and shuddered together as they came. Afterwards, Ymir withdrew herself and then collapsed onto her stomach beside Krista.

"I'm heading back to sleep. Nanaba can kiss my ass."

Krista groaned but giggled and sat up. She leaned over Ymir and gently kissed her shoulder.

"Come on sweetheart, get up. We both need a shower now." She glanced over at the clock. "We have twenty minutes left until your mentor gets here."

Ymir sighed. "Alright." She reluctantly pulled her body out of bed and then she lifted Krista with her.

"I thought that you're tired."

"Not tired enough not to carry my midget."

Krista pouted. "You're commenting on my height again."

Ymir snickered. "You make fun of me too."

Krista reached up and scratched behind Ymir's ear, making the brunette pause just in front of the shower and tilt her head to the side.

"Gonna shake your leg?"

Ymir unfroze and reached into the shower to turn it on. "Har har."

Krista giggled. "So what are you learning today?"

Ymir stepped into the shower and finally set Krista down onto her feet. "We were supposed to do more defence training yesterday. I'll learn how to hunt soon."

"Hunt? Like hunt prey?"

Ymir nodded. She squirted shampoo into her hand and then started to lather it into Krista's hair. "Yup."

Krista enjoyed the feeling of Ymir's long fingers combing through her hair, but shuddered in disgust at the thought of Ymir killing an animal and eating it. "Ew."

Ymir shrugged and allowed Krista to wash the shampoo from her hair. "I dunno, it doesn't freak me out. Don't know if I'll be able to eat raw meat though."

"Well I suppose your stomach is suited for it. Bend down and let me wash your hair."

"Suited, yeah, but not used to it."

"You could train to get used to it?"

"I'm pretty sure that is what we'll do. But why are you encouraging me? Aren't you grossed out by the thought?"

"I am but I want to support you. As long as you thoroughly brush your teeth and rinse your mouth out before even thinking of kissing me."

Ymir stood and allowed the shower water to run through her hair to rinse it. Afterwards she pulled Krista against her and bit into her neck. "Sure thing, babe." She kissed the spot she had bitten and then straightened again.

"Want me to wash your back?"

Ymir nodded and reached for their sponge.

A few moments later they finally finished in the shower and dressed in the bedroom. Ymir kept her outfit light, only a pair of shorts and a shirt, while Krista returned to wearing pyjamas.

Ymir sat down on the bed and then collapsed backwards. "I'm worried," she said.

Krista retrieved her brush and then sat next to Ymir. "About what?" She tugged at Ymir's shirt and the brunette sat up. Slowly and gently she began to run the brush through Ymir's damp brown hair.

"I don't know. About Nanaba. I'm just worried."

"She has you, so I'm sure she'll be okay."

Ymir wanted to mention that Nanaba was doing something in secret, but she held her tongue and instead nodded. "Yeah, guess you're right."

Krista felt Ymir's emotions and that she was holding something back, but she didn't mention it and merely ran a hand through her cynan's hair when she was done brushing it to give it the usual messy look.

Ymir was about to say something, but then her head turned and she sniffed at the air. "Nanaba is here."

"It's still a bit creepy how you always know when she's here before she knocks."

"She knocks for you." And at that a knock sounded from the front door.

Ymir stood and pulled Krista into her arms. She dipped down and kissed her long and hard, and then she released her and gently caressed a thumb over her cheek.

"Stay safe. You know how to contact me if anything happens."

Krista leaned into the touch and sighed. "I'm always safe. Have fun with Nanaba and don't give her too much trouble."

Ymir chucked. "I'll try," and then she let go and exited the room.

Krista listened to her footsteps until she had left the front door, and then she glanced over at the bed and frowned. She suddenly didn't feel all that tired, despite the time, so she slipped a gown on and then went into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. Afterwards she grabbed her laptop and a blanket, bundled herself up comfortably in the corner of the couch and then she sipped on her drink and opened her email.

After a moment of loading, notifications popped up and Krista noticed an unfamiliar name. It took a second to recognize it, and when she did Krista smiled slightly and clicked on the email;

_**To:**__ KristaR _

_**From: **__HomuraKagari _

_**Subject:**__ Lunch _

_Good evening, Ms Krista. _

_I apologise for sending this so late, or perhaps so early. As promised, here are the details for our meeting next Friday. 10:00 a.m. at Pinnacle Beach. If the location is not possible, I would appreciate word, and we can decide on somewhere else. You already have the job, so there is no need to impress. Dress comfortably. If you have questions about what we do and what will be expected of you, save them for Friday. I am more than happy to answer. _

_Yours Truly,  
Homura._

_PS: I should probably mention that I will be wearing a simple white button-up shirt with black pants. I should be easy to spot. I look forward to our meeting, Ms Krista._

Krista skimmed over it again, and then she nervously typed back a response, merely confirming that she would be there. After hitting send she relaxed back into the couch and went through her other emails, all the while wondering what Homura looked like and if this was actually happening. A slight pinch confirmed that it was, and Krista swallowed the last of her hot chocolate feeling immensely happy.

Now done with her drink and with checking her email, Krista decided to watch a movie to pass the time. She hooked her laptop up to the TV and then selected one of the romantic movies Ymir had refused to watch.

With a light yawn and a stretch, Krista curled up in a ball and then relaxed. Her eyelids grew heavy mere minutes into the movie, and soon she fell right back to sleep, reasons for staying awake forgotten.

XxX

Krista only woke hours later, and not of her own desire. She had fallen asleep in the lounge on the couch, so when the house phone rang, shrill and loud, Krista was startled into waking. It took four rings for Krista to finish panicking and realize that it was the phone, and then she dived for the phone and answered it on the fifth ring.

"Hello?!"

"Thank goddess. I thought you'd never answer."

Krista manages to sink back into her cocoon and sighed. "Sorry Petra, I was asleep."

"At one in the afternoon?

Krista glanced at the clock. "Yes, at one in the afternoon."

On her end, Petra lifted a brow. "Sounds like you stay up too late."

"And that is entirely not my fault."

"Ymir's then?"

Krista blushed. "Maybe…"

"Do you… um…" Petra smiled against her hand, considering if she should still ask, and then she decided that she might as well. "Do you have sex often?"

Krista was torn between a number of reactions. First, she wanted to yell and drop the phone to cover her face which was already burning a brighter shade of red. Second, she wanted to laugh long and loud and nod vigourously, and then confirm that they did at least twice a day. However, Krista chose a third, more mature reaction.

"In all honesty?" she asked calmly, not allowing her embarrassment to leak into her voice. "We do, a lot."

Petra hadn't expected the level answer, or such an honest one, so she burnt up bright with a blush of her own and cough lightly into her hand. "Wow, okay… U-um…" she cleared her throat. "You'll have to give me the details some other time. The reason why I called is to tell you that I spoke to Mikasa and she wants us all to have dinner together. She convinced Eren and Sasha. I also spoke to Reiner and Berthold today and the totally don't mind."

Krista uncurled from her blanket bundle and stretched to get the kinks out of her back. "What, seriously? Everyone is okay with it just like that?"

"Yeah! The only time they can all get a moment away is next weekend, though. Is that possible?"

Krista considered what she and Ymir would be doing then, and then she deduced that they would merely do the usual, so she grinned broadly and stood from the couch. "That's perfect. I'll get Ymir to cook with me!"

"I didn't know Ymir can cook."

"There's always a time to start."

Petra giggled. "Sounds like that will be fun. So does seven sound fine?"

Would Ymir be home around that time? Krista thought about it for a moment, and she realized that she would have to ask Nanaba and Ymir to hold off on training for that do. Was it worth it, though? "Uh, that's fine, I suppose." She could always change the time after talking to Ymir, if they couldn't skip another day of training.

"Great. I'll email everyone else. Are you doing anything today?"

"Just the usual."

Petra hummed. "Ah, the usual. I'll leave you to it then."

The two exchanged farewells, and then Krista placed the phone back onto its stand and she regarded it with a smile for a long while.

It was nice that her friends were so willing to hang out again. She really missed them all so much. Next weekend was sure to be a lot of fun, and a time to catch up on everyone's lives. She could also show Ymir off, which Krista was secretly fond of doing. It wasn't a secret to Ymir, though. The brunette could see right through Krista about anything. Ymir was the only one that could truly look into Krista's eyes and see right down to her very core.

It also helped that she had access to Krista's emotions.

XxX

Ymir breathed harshly. She pressed a hand to her nose and winced slightly, not due to any real pain but because she had known it was there. She glanced up at the trees above her and sighed so deeply that she scowled at herself right after.

Nanaba approached lightly, careful, and then she dropped down beside Ymir and stretched her arms in front of her. "How's your nose?"

Ymir shrugged. "Healed minutes ago."

"Blood?"

"Dried."

"It stinks."

Ymir sighed again. "I know. It's all I can smell." It stung her nose unpleasantly, and in that moment Ymir wished she didn't have such a sensitive sense of smell.

Nanaba rubbed a hand over her forearm, getting some of the dried blood and sweat off of it. "I'm sorry."

Ymir immediately punched Nanaba in the shoulder, making her blonde teacher topple over and growl. "Stop goddamn apologising. It was an accident."

Nanaba righted herself and glared. "Yeah well I feel bad. I didn't mean to head-butt you."

"Luckily for you I'm used to getting knocked in the head by blondes." She smirked despite herself, remembering the many, many times her little lover had delivered a painful head-butt either due to something she said or something she did.

"That Krista is something," Nanaba commented.

Ymir smiled. "She sure is."

"Still, I've never seen a human connect with one of us like this before."

Ymir turned her head, finally leaving her nose alone and forgetting that it had been broken, and stared curiously. "Is it not heard of?"

Nanaba shrugged. "Adrian says that cynans stick to cynans in order to keep bloodlines pure."

"Bloodlines?" Ymir leaned back onto her elbows and scoffed. "If you haven't noticed I don't have a dick."

Nanaba remained sitting and she did not turn to share a look with Ymir, though she wanted to. "Same-sex mates are not uncommon with our people. Humans are the only race to speak against it."

"No shit, seriously?"

"It's more than just what you have between your legs. We are as much spirit as we are flesh and bones. If you wanted to, you could get Krista pregnant."

At this Ymir sat up. "How?"

Finally Nanaba looked into her eyes. "Ymir, we are a race of awareness. If you intend it, so shall it be."

"So if I want wings all I gotta do is imagine it?"

"I've never heard of that working before, but I suppose you could try."

"No but seriously. Can I really have kids with her one day, naturally, if I ever want to?"

Nanaba nodded, and then she smiled. "Unfortunately I'm not sure how she would handle carrying your child."

Ymir's brows furrowed. "Because she's human?"

"That and her size."

"So… so it would be a risk?"

Nanaba shrugged. "No human has ever successfully birthed a cynan before, as far as Adrian's books have told him. Do you think you'd ever want children with her?"

Ymir thought about it. "Not if it risks her life."

Nanaba's smile turned sad. "Some happiness needs a sacrifice, I guess."

Ymir agreed, but she wasn't entirely sure how she felt on the matter. She had never really wanted anything like kids, but Krista made her feel all warm and happy inside, and she couldn't help but wonder now what their babies would look like if they were ever to have any.

Blonde? Blue eyed? Short? Or perhaps tall and dark like Ymir? Maybe a mix of light and dark?

"What do babies of our kind look like?"

Nanaba furrowed her brows and laughed in amusement. "They look human, of course. The change comes with puberty, but only if they are aware. Some change before, but those are the lucky ones."

"Shit I only changed in my twenties."

"I was one of the lucky ones."

Ymir's eyes widened in surprise. Nanaba saw it, and she saw the way Ymir's eyes shone with questions, so she shifted and took steps towards the edge of the trees. She turned her head to look back at Ymir and then she kicked at the ground.

_Break is over, let's go over everything one more time._

Ymir merely nodded and changed, and then she followed Nanaba through the trees. The surroundings were peaceful and quite, and the scent of the lycan was long gone. Ymir still didn't know what had happened that day, or who Nanaba had saved, but she was sure that she would know soon.

She also wondered what Nanaba's backstory was, and the curiosity didn't leave her even as they began to fight again.

XxX

The sun was warm despite the cold air, and the clouds had disappeared overnight. They would probably return as the day grew darker, but for now they were gone and Krista was making the most out of the warmth. She sat outside in her backyard, on a bench Ymir had built for her. It was placed beneath the largest tree in the yard, comfortably in the shade when the sun was the highest. Should the sun become too hot, Krista could move up to the other end and cool off in the shade. For now, she enjoyed the light while a notebook rest on her lap.

On days like these, with nothing else to do but wait until Ymir returned, Krista liked to write. She wrote about anything; her day, the weather, what her friends were up to or she would delve into a little fiction and drain herself of it until her creativity ran out.

This time Krista felt an odd desire for fiction, and so she scribbled elegantly along the glowing, white pages with her favourite black pen. Tales of mighty warriors running on all fours and protecting their mates covered the pages. She had already written quite a few pages of her story down and she still had no real idea of where the story was taking her.

Words just seemed to flow, and as they did Krista wrote them. She went into an intense concentration as she did so, drowning out the sound of the wind rustling the leaves and of small bird chirping on the branches.

Krista was still fascinated with the idea of people who could shift into other creatures. She still had a lot to learn about Ymir, and what being with her entailed. She understood their vast differences. At a time she had worried about that, but nothing had become a problem yet. No one interfered, no one tried to separate them, and so far they worked so perfectly together that Krista smiled brightly just at the thought of her tall lover.

It would be nice if everything stayed that way, and Krista briefly wondered if they would. Dark thoughts suddenly invaded her mind then, causing Krista's pen to falter. In that instance she glanced up from the page she had been staring at and caught a sight that sent a startling chill down her spine.

At the edge of the yard, a large animal stood, staring with glowing, intelligent golden eyes. The look in them was nothing more than curious, but Krista still felt a flutter of fear in her heart at the way the creature stood so tall it looked over the gate. A wind blew by, rustling its thick fur. The ears twitched, it lowered its head to sniff the ground, and then it sneezed lightly and turned to run back wherever it had come from.

Krista hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath, so she exhaled harshly when her lungs started to burn. Her hands shook, and with a trembling breath Krista gripped her notebook to her chest and hurried back inside. She made sure to lock all windows and doors, and then she grabbed her phone and nervously stared at it.

Should she call Ymir? Nanaba?

Ymir had most likely felt her distress already, even through the distance between them. She would most likely burst in, angry and panicked, with Nanaba yelling for her to calm down. Calling them would be the best option, whether they had a phone on them or not – not being the most likely considering their undress.

It was already five in the afternoon, so Krista decided to leave a message on Nanaba's cell and maybe head over to Petra's until Ymir came back. She wasn't sure if that had been a cynan or a lycan, but either way the memory of it scared her. Knowing how easily it could have ripped her throat out terrified her even more. Threatening or not, seeing another shifter in such a personal place was not the most pleasant experience.

Krista gripped the phone tightly in her hand and breathed deeply for a few moments to calm herself while she waited. Eventually the dial tone morphed into a voice, and Krista smiled in relief.

"Uh, hi. This is Nanaba. I'm not with my phone at the moment, but you can leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

There was a beep, and then Krista took a breath. "H-hi Nanaba. I'm sorry to call at this time. You must be busy with Ymir. I, um, I'm not sure if she knows yet, but I just had an encounter with one of your kind. I'm fine, so don't panic and please tell Ymir not to panic. It looked more curious than anything, but I don't feel really safe right now. I'm heading out to Petra, so just tell Ymir to get me there. I hope the training went alright. Okay, uh, bye."

She hung up, stared at the phone for a moment and then she placed it down and went through the house to her bedroom to fetch a jacket. Afterwards she cautiously made her way to the car.

The entire ride to Petra consisted of worried glances along the road, looking for either a familiar dark brown fur or the unfamiliar golden eyes. Krista found neither, and the ride was more stressful than it should have been.

XxX

They were currently running, chasing a rabbit, but Ymir stopped so suddenly that Nanaba flew past her and yelped in surprise. The blonde cynan forced her large body to stop and then she hurried back to Ymir's side, alarmed.

_Ymir? What's wrong?_

Ymir's ears were twitching back and forth and her eyes were closed. It was as if she was trying to hear for something. Eventually her eyes flashed open and Nanaba saw worry there.

_Nanaba, we need to head back to the car. You have a __voicemail__._

Nanaba titled her head. _A __voicemail__?_

XxX

"Whoa, calm down there Krista!" Petra exclaimed after opening the door. She had been in her study reading a book when she had suddenly heard panicked knocking on her door. Krista's pale appearance didn't lessen any of Petra's worries.

"Hey Petra, I'm sorry to bother you like this," Krista said as she gently brushed past her and entered the house.

Petra glanced behind Krista as she passed by to see if anyone was close, but she saw nothing, and wondered why her cousin looked so stricken. "What happened? Is Ymir okay?"

Krista cracked a smile despite her panic. "You always assume something happened to Ymir when I look scared or down."

Petra followed her into the lounge and sat down beside her. Petra's brows creased. "Because that stud is your everything. She's all you talk about and all that makes your sun rise." Petra leaned forward and rested her elbow on her leg. Chin resting in her palm, she turned to give Krista a droll look. "I see it every time you look at her!"

At this Krista had to blush. She knew that it was obvious. Anyone could see the way they glanced at each other, or the way Ymir always gently pressed a hand to Krista's lower back, or brushed a finger across her cheek, or pushed a lock of hair behind a pink ear or simply just smiled when Krista's blue eyes blinked upwards at her.

"Yeah… well… Ymir should be here soon. She's alright. Actually, she's with a friend right now."

"Hmm, I see. Care to explain why you're here over a cup of coffee or tea?"

"Tea please, and I don't think you want to hear my problems."

Petra tugged Krista with her to the kitchen. "Aw, come on cuz. I'm worried about you."

Krista sighed. She definitely felt a lot better than she had when she was driving over. The panic and worry was gone, and she felt safe and calm with her cousin. Knowing Ymir was rushing back eased her stress away further. Krista suddenly really missed Ymir, and she wondered what she would say to her when her lover broke Petra's door down to get to her.

"Trust me," Krista said.

"I do trust you, but I want to know if you're in some sort of trouble because I care about you."

The kettle was switched on and as the water began to boil Krista thought. She needed someone to talk to about all her supernatural issues, but Petra still didn't believe her. Krista had called or visited Adrian a few times, but the man was of an older generation. Most of the topics Krista needed to talk to someone about were too personal and embarrassing for anyone other than Petra. Nanaba was a no-go too, because she seemed very awkward when Krista tried to talk to her. Krista remembered the last time she had asked the blonde for relationship advice.

_"So, um, can I ask you something Nanaba?"_

_"Of course. What's troubling you?"_

_"I-is it normal for... Um... Ymir she... Is it normal for a cynan's sex drive to be so high?"_

_Nanaba went absolutely still, and then she coughed lightly and scratched behind her ear. She shared an awkward look with a blushing Krista and then rubbed a hand over her face._

_"Is it like that for you too?" _

_This time Nanaba coughed for real when she choked on her breath, not expecting that question. _

_"We have a very... strong desire, to, uh, to procreate. It's an instinct. So yeah, it's normal. As for me..." Nanaba's eyes suddenly grew serious. "It's the same for all of us."_

So Nanaba wouldn't feel comfortable talking about Ymir, that much was certain. Krista had no one else who could possibly listen, though. So she decided then to give Petra another chance to believe her.

"It's a cynan thing," Krista finally stated. When she looked up she saw that Petra had frozen by the kettle, where she had been pouring water into the cups. After a while her shoulders relaxed, and then she exhaled loudly and went to the fridge to get milk.

"A supernatural problem, then?"

Krista heard the disbelief there and it hurt her. Petra thought her a liar and someone who would believe in fairy tales that didn't exist. What would it take for her to believe?

"I can prove it, you know." Krista said. Her lips were pressed in a hard line, showing her displeasure.

Petra finished with the milk and after putting it back in the fridge she slowly turned to face the smaller blonde.

"I'm sorry that I'm struggling to believe in this fantasy world you've got going there. How is anyone supposed to believe their cousin when she claims to be in a relationship with an animal? It's absurd."

"Not an animal. Ymir is a cynanthrope. A weredog. She is not an animal."

"So your girlfriend turns into a dog at full moon. That doesn't sound any more convincing!"

"I thought of all people you would believe me!" Krista yelled, hurt with Petra's words. "You look at me like I need to be in a mental institute. I keep trying to show you but you won't let me!" Her face shone red with anger.

"Because I know it's bullshit!"

"Why do you ask about my troubles when you dismiss them as nothing more than tales?!"

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy for caring? What is this Ymir doing to you?! I barely see you anymore, and when I do you're either with that woman or you'll find some way to talk about her. Does she have you on drugs?"

If Krista's face had been red a minute ago, then it was surely glowing scarlet now.

"I'm sick of this!" Krista shouted loudly, so loud that her lungs ached. "I'll show you whether you want to see it or not!"

Petra took a breath to yell back, but then a sudden loud crash startled them both and a blur of brown rushed before Petra's eyes. Before she could even swallow, she was confronted with the biggest dog she had ever seen, and its teeth were bared, a growl ripping from between them in Petra's direction.

It circled Krista once, and after growling in warming it sat down behind the small blonde and leaned forward to gently lick her cheek.

Krista immediately turned and wrapped her arms around Ymir's thick neck. Slowly the anger drained from her body and the adrenalin causing her heart to thud painfully subsided. As Krista calmed, so did Ymir, and the growl in her chest ceased into silence.

"Ymir, I'm sorry." Krista pulled out of the hug to reach up and rub Ymir's muzzle. The brunette's ears folded back in pleasure and she closed her eyes for a minute to enjoy the sensation, but then they snapped open and regarded Petra.

_I heard you yelling, I felt your anger and hurt and it made me panic, _Ymir said.

Krista took a step back, looking guilty. She looked behind her at Petra and saw her cousin standing absolutely still and staring at Ymir with wide, shocked eyes.

"No... It... It can't be..." Petra whispered softly in disbelief.

"Ymir, you can change."

_Think she can handle it?_

"It's not up to her anymore."

Ymir attempted to chuckle, but it only came out as a gruff rumble, and then she shrugged her large shoulders and shifted back into human form in an instant. Slight steam twirled up from her skin, and she was still naked but she stood tall and proud and smirked over at Petra.

"Do you believe me now?" Krista asked.

Petra looked from Krista to Ymir, nodded shortly once, and then she passed out.

Ymir was fast enough to catch her and she sighed after she did, and then she stood with Petra out cold in her arms.

"She couldn't handle it," Ymir said.

Krista shrugged. "I told you, it wasn't up to her anymore."

Ymir squinted at Krista, and then she decided to let it go and carried the woman in her arms to the lounge.

"Babe?" Ymir called over her shoulder.

Krista paused by the kitchen doorway and watched Ymir put Petra down onto the couch. "Yeah?

"I smell tea. Can I have some? I ran here on my own after hearing the voicemail you left."

Krista smiled affectionately and then she retrieved the still hot cups of tea. She took them over to Ymir and handed one to her.

"How long are we going to be here?" Ymir asked. She downed the warm liquid in one go and dropped the cup onto the closest coffee table.

"After we talk with Petra. I don't want her to think it was a dream."

"But Krista," Ymir pointed at herself. "I'm naked."

Krista bit her lip. "Oh I know."

Ymir sensed the arousal coming from Krista and then she chuckled, pulled the blonde into her arms and smirked against the warm skin behind her ear.

"Getting hot for me already?" She flicked her tongue out to taste the skin, enjoying Krista's shiver, and then she pressed her lips to the junction between Krista's shoulder and neck. "I want to bite you."

Krista shivered violently and covered her mouth with a hand just as she moaned. Ymir biting her was equivalent to an entire night's love making. The mere sentence set her nerves on fire.

"We can't," Krista whined softly in disappointment. "Petra just passed out. We can't have sex in her house." Krista turned around and before Ymir could complain she stopped her with a heated kiss. Eventually she released her lips, and when she did Krista said, "When we get home, though..." She caressed Ymir's warm chest with a finger.

Ymir shivered and nodded vigorously. Images were pushed into her mind and she had to blink a few times to refocus her vision when they faded. A deep blush covered Ymir's face, highlighting her freckles, and then she swallowed.

"Did you just...?"

Krista kissed her lightly on the jaw. "I did. Now run home quickly to get dressed."

Ymir almost obeyed without question, but then she remembered the reason for her panic in the first place and lifted her nose to sniff the air. She tested the scent around and on Krista too, but caught nothing that made her worry. Only after ensuring that no other shifter had touched her mate Ymir turned into her cynan form and ran back home as quickly as possible. When she returned, folded clothes between her jaws, Petra was awake.

The orange-blonde wasn't as shocked as earlier, but she still seemed startled when Ymir trotted into the lounge. The cynan dropped her clothes to the floor and then started to change into them after shifting.

"Welcome back," Krista said.

Ymir grinned while pulling her shorts on. "How was the nap, Petra?"

Petra swallowed lightly. "Krista… Ymir... I..." She grappled for words, unable to get her feelings and thoughts properly communicated.

Krista felt slightly bad. "Petra, this is the truth. You saw her with your own eyes. We will leave and give you time to figure out how you feel about this, but please don't dismiss it. Promise me that you won't."

Petra's mouth wouldn't move, so she merely nodded.

"I am sorry for shocking you, though." Krista said.

Ymir snorted. "I'm not."

Krista ignored the comment. Instead, she gave her cousin a long hug and then left with Ymir.

Upon walking through the front door Krista was relieved to see that her cynan hadn't actually broken the door down, she had just forced it open, and since it hadn't been locked there was barely any damage.

XxX

Unfortunately their sexcapades would have to wait longer, because when they arrived home Nanaba had been pacing around the front yard. When she noticed them she seemed hugely relieved, and physically relaxed as a result.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Ymir nodded. "I haven't asked her about it yet. Did you sniff the area for any scent?"

Nanaba's jaw tensed for a second and then she nodded.

"And?" Krista asked.

"Gone with the wind," Nanaba answered. The way her eyes flicked to the side told Ymir that the blonde was lying, but Ymir decided not to bring it up yet. "Ymir, take the rest of the day off." She approached the couple and then she paused abruptly and her eyes flicked over to Krista.

"What?" Krista asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Nanaba shook her head, but she continued to stare. She stepped closer and Ymir allowed her to. Nanaba inhaled deeply, and then she circled Krista a few times, lingering on a foreign scent.

"Nanaba, what is it?" Ymir demanded.

Nanaba seemed to return to reality and realize what she was doing, and then she stepped away. "I don't really know. A scent bothered me." She gave Krista one more scrutinizing look. "Anyway, take the day off. We'll continue training tomorrow."

Ymir's brows were furrowed as she nodded, and then the couple watched Nanaba drive away in her car. She waved, and they waved back.

"That was odd," Krista commented.

Ymir shrugged. She headed for the house and impatiently waited for Krista to catch up, to unlock the door. Once they were inside and the door was closed behind them, Ymir suddenly lifted Krista into her arms and gently pressed her against the wall, making Krista gasp.

"You found the mood quickly again."

Ymir grunted and started to pull at their clothes. When Krista was shirtless she wasted no time and sunk her teeth into Krista's shoulder.

Krista groaned deeply and wrapped her legs around Ymir's waist. "Or maybe you never lost the mood at all."

Ymir's hand travelled down Krista's stomach and into her pants, and then Krista moaned again and arched into Ymir. "Fuck!" Krista exclaimed suddenly.

Ymir's chest rumbled, she ran her tongue around her teeth and then carried Krista to the bedroom

"Can I just mention how I love it when you swear?" Ymir said with a groan when she released Krista from her bite.

Krista smirked naughtily. "Oh I know." She forced Ymir onto her back and straddled her waist. "I wonder how long we can last this time."

The passion in her eyes set Ymir's desires alight, and when the blonde started a dominating, hungry kiss, she relaxed, shivered, and let Krista do as she pleased.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

* * *

Nanaba curiously sniffed the ground at her feet as she walked calmly through the trees. She wasn't on high alert for anything, since she was merely out for a stroll. Patrolling the area for any scents had been done well over an hour before. There was no other way the blonde could leisurely enjoy the sunrise, at least not since the danger had moved into the city.

The morning was as it should be, slightly cold with a beautiful blue-grey sky. The clouds were puffy as the sun revealed more and more of them, and Nanaba definitely enjoyed watching them.

She was sitting, large head titled back and eyes fixed on the horizon. As she stared her mind worked, and Nanaba thought over Ymir's progress. She was proud of Ymir for everything she had learnt in such a short time-span, and an uncomfortable pang of guilt hit her right in the heart. She wondered if maybe she shouldn't talk to Ymir about what was happening. Maybe she was underestimating the brunette. Maybe Ymir would end up helping if she was let in on the current situation.

Although, considering how Ymir had left without a thought when Nanaba had listened to that voice message left on her phone by Krista, Nanaba wasn't so sure if Ymir would be able to keep a level head with Krista on the line.

It was an early Friday morning, the day that Nanaba usually spent alone in the wilderness to think. Lately it hadn't been too safe to do this, as the attack of the other day was warning enough. Nanaba still couldn't figure out what they wanted. Was it simply territory? Why care about a little city? Surely there were better places to conquer. Nanaba knew that if they really were here to take over the area, then getting them to leave wasn't really an option. Fighting was the only way. A quiet denial kept Nanaba from fully accepting the situation. She was still hopeful of finding a solution that led no one else into the fray, and left things peaceful.

From the distance Nanaba heard quick, heavy footsteps and all at once the harsh scent she so hated assaulted her senses. By the time she was on all fours, hackles risen, three large wolves emerged into the clearing, all of them baring their teeth and growing threateningly.

Nanaba tried not to panic. She needed to stay calm and think of a way to escape. Fighting one on her own still left her with a chance, but three large lycans were definitely too much for her to take on and expect to live. She could feel the power and danger rolling off of them and it made her lips curl back even more.

_I'm hungry for some doggie meat,_ one of them said, earning chuckles from the other.

_She looks like she's about to bolt,_ another said. This one was standing to the left of the first one that had spoken. It was slightly larger and seemed less sadistic than the others. The one to the right, however, looked like it was willing to tear the fur off of Nanaba's flesh merely to enjoy her screams.

Nanaba swallowed and her body remained tense. _What do you want?_ she bravely asked.

The wolf to the right stepped forward and shook its thick fur. _Who gave you permission to talk to us, mutt?_ Its steps were heavy and thudding, and each time its clawed feet hit the floor Nanaba's heart climbed higher into her throat. She wanted to run so badly that her muscles burnt, but she couldn't. If she ran it would be seconds before they caught up and tore her to shreds.

_We shouldn't be playing around,_ the one on the left said with a bored look upon its face. Unlike the other two, it had ceased to growl and bare its fangs.

_Shut the fuck up,_ the one stepping towards Nanaba roared. _We haven't been allowed any goddamn fun for weeks!_

Nanaba was trembling; No longer from fear, but from absolute rage. They were conversing, as if debating her fate, as if she was a toy and not a living thing. It made her heart burn with anger and she felt sudden strength fill her limbs. She refused to let these filthy creatures murder her in cold blood. Even if she had to be torn up in the process, she would damn well fight these creatures until she was soaked in their blood.

With the image of their bodies littering the ground, Nanaba's ears shot up and she rose higher, as if her body was growing in size. An angry, threatening growl ripped from her chest, like the thundering engine of a motorcycle. It was consistent and loud enough to send the lycan back to its other two companions.

The rebellion sparked anger in them, though, and even the most docile one started to growl again. Their eyes filled with just as much anger at the audacity of a cynan attempting to challenge them.

Nanaba no longer felt vulnerable and scared. She felt powerful and fierce.

_Come at me, I dare you,_ Nanaba spat angrily towards them. She licked her fangs and stood taller still, now tall enough to look down at them.

When the first one charged, the most hot-headed, Nanaba was ready for it. She knocked the paw away with her own and slammed her head against its chest. The lycan released a shrill whimper and flew back into a few trees, cracking them all nearly to falling.

The second lycan, further infuriated by its comrade's defeat, shot forward and aimed its jaws right at Nanaba's throat. In response Nanaba swept to the side, evaded the teeth enough that they sunk into her shoulder instead, and then used both teeth and claws to slice the lycan's side. The lycan roared in pain and released its hold to jump back.

Blood trickled over Nanaba's jaw and hot steam rose from the wounds on her shoulder. They wouldn't heal for a while, not like normal wounds would.

The lycans seemed genuinely surprised that a cynan was fighting on equal grounds with them. This seemed to hype them up, though. They all shared a single look, the two that had attacked having recovered already.

The lycans spread out, moving in sync, and Nanaba knew that they would attack together. Attacking alone was enough for Nanaba to fight against, but all together, even if they were cynans and not lycans, would be almost impossible for Nanaba to survive alone.

As if sensing her distress, the trees and bushes rustled and then a group of cynans jumped into the fray to surround Nanaba and growl at the lycans.

_You okay Nanaba?_ one of them asked, breathing harshly.

Nanaba released a breath of relief and shook her head slightly to flick the blood from the fur on her chin. _I am. How did you know?_

A third cynan, a female with lush brown fur, chuckled and scratched excitedly at the ground. _Adrian sensed it and called us to find you. Looks like we're just in time – I smell blood. _

_I managed to get one of them_, Nanaba said.

The brunette cynan chuckled. _That's our Nanaba! Now let's kill these bastards and bring their innards back to Adrian!_

Four cynans and three lycans stared-off, no one moving a muscle, all teeth bared in warning. The lycans seemed unsure if they should act, and they probably would have attacked, but a voice from the shadows cut through the tension like a knife.

_Enough. We did not come here to play with our food. _Large, intense red eyes appeared between the trees. _Leave them for now. It isn't time yet._

The lycans ears all folded back and they shared a look. Like teenagers asked to do the dishes, they all released a sigh and rolled their eyes.

_Sure thing boss,_ the calmest of them said, and then they all turned and followed their hidden leader into the trees.

Nanaba and her group watched them in tense silence, and when it was sure that it wasn't a trap, they turned and headed back to the city. As they ran Nanaba finally felt the throbbing in her shoulder.

She realized how lucky she was that they walked away from there alive.

XxX

When they entered the city they split up in order to keep people from noticing them, and Nanaba headed quickly to Adrian's shop. She was in such a rush that she forgot to head for the back and instead walked right through the front door of the shop still in her cynan form. The shop barely had any customers, but on this day there just happened to be a teenage couple giggling at a small statue of a native woman with her breasts bared. When Nanaba burst through the door the teens fled in an instant, panicked and shocked.

"Nanaba!" Adrian stood from his chair quickly, causing it to tip over, and hurried to lock the door and announce the shop closed for now. Nanaba had changed back into human form and he quickly ushered her to the back room. He handed his jacket to her but she merely waved it away. Adrian was more than used to his cynans being naked in his presence. "What happened?"

Nanaba headed to the upstairs apartment, Adrian following, and sat down in the lounge area. A hand covered her shoulder where multiple puncture wounds bled down her side. She flinched at the pain.

"A group of wolves caught me alone. I wasn't expecting them at all. One of them managed to bite my shoulder."

Adrian grabbed his first aid kid and quickly dabbed at the wound with a special anti-septic that he had made with herbs he grew behind the shop. It lessened the burn from the bite and helped the wound to heal quicker. It was still healing at a relatively human pace, though. Wounds inflicted by lycans often did.

As Adrian cleaned and covered her wound Nanaba glanced around the room and narrowed her eyes at the pile of blankets on the largest couch. "Where is she?"

Adrian glanced over his shoulder and then chuckled. "Calm down. I sent her to the local drug store. I'm low on bandages, and it seems I'll need to stock up more if the future looks anything worse than this." He finished bandaging Nanaba's shoulder and then gave it a light pat to indicate so to the blonde.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to her yet."

"She should be back soon."

Nanaba sighed and moved her injured shoulder lightly. It still stung, but Adrian's medicine was starting to work already. Hopefully it would be completely healed by morning.

Adrian took a seat on the coffee table in front of Nanaba and reached out to gently hold her shoulders. "Was it a warning?" His wise eyes were clouded over in worry. If this was a warning then he knew they would have to assemble a small army much sooner than he had anticipated.

"No," Nanaba replied. "They were just out for a walk, I think. Their leader was with them, but I didn't get a good look at them. Actually, the leader was in the shadows the whole time and they only spoke up when my group arrived to back me up. After that the wolves left." Nanaba sighed. "Including the leader, there's four of them."

"But I'm sure there are more."

"Probably. I was only lucky today. I could have died."

Adrian sucked a breath in and suddenly pulled Nanaba into his arms. He rested his chin atop her head and closed his eyes, silently thanking the greater powers for protecting Nanaba.

"Adrian?" Nanaba felt his old body trembling and she nervously patted his side.

"You're like a daughter to me, Nanaba." He tightened his hold, mindful of her injuries. "If you had died I would have been lost. You aren't related to me, but I have raised you since you were just above my knee. I don't think it's safe to venture out alone anymore."

Nanaba's heart felt heavy with emotion. She understood how he felt. Adrian was the only parent she had ever known, and thinking of the suffering he would go through at her loss made Nanaba sniffle lightly. "I'm sorry," she said. She returned the hug just as powerfully and buried her face against his shoulder.

All at once she felt ten years old again, crying into Adrian's shoulder as he chastised her for not controlling her abilities properly and scaring the human kids away. He would always give her a stern lecture, but then afterwards he would make tea for them both and give Nanaba ice-cream after dinner.

It felt like one of those times, and Nanaba wouldn't be surprised if he whipped his ice-cream tub out and offered a spoon to her later. In fact, she would welcome it.

Adrian chuckled lightly and finally released Nanaba from his hug. He looked into her young face and reached out to wipe a single tear from her cheek. "No more of this, okay? You will tell Ymir everything and she will help you. You must not keep this burden to yourself anymore."

Nanaba smiled. "I think it's about time I told her, too. She knows I've been hiding stuff and I don't want to lose her trust. She's close to finishing her training as well, so the timing is good."

Adrian nodded. "I'd like for you and the others to leave the city for a bit. Take Ymir with you to complete her training."

"But why?"

"I just have a feeling. I'll call my brother at his resort and have him book a room for you and for Ymir. I assume her mate will come with too?"

Nanaba knew that arguing against him wouldn't do a thing, so she nodded and watched Adrian flip through his personal phone book. He had a very large list of important contacts.

"Where will the others go?"

"I'll send them somewhere else. Ymir isn't ready to meet them yet."

"Okay. Is it okay if I sleep for a bit and then head over to Ymir's to tell her?"

Adrian glanced up from dialling on his house phone to smile affectionately at his adopted daughter. "Of course. Take my bed for the morning if you want."

Nanaba nodded and rubbed at her eyes as she headed to his room. The healing would go quicker if her body was resting, and Nanaba felt emotionally drained. Adrian did that to her sometimes. She needed to recharge and then head right over to Ymir's house to get them ready. She was sure they would be leaving the very next day.

XxX

"Okay… no I understand…. Yeah, that's fine… Okay, it was nice to hear from you again… You too… Bye." Krista removed the phone from her hear and placed it down onto the table. She didn't spare it a glance and hurried into the bathroom to tell Ymir the news.

"Ymir?"

Ymir was in the shower, so she opened the glass door and turned her body to regard Krista standing at the doorway. She didn't cease washing her hair, and continued to lather shampoo through her brown locks. "Hm?"

"Adrian just called. He said Nanaba will be over a little later. Something happened and she's resting."

Alarm bells rang and Ymir's brows connected in concern. "Okay," she said simply.

Krista could see the worry on her face and feel it through their connection. She frowned. "Is it something bad?" she asked.

Ymir shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'll ask her when she gets back. Maybe then she'll finally explain things to me." Ymir turned back around and washed the soap from her hair. She continued to wash herself, apparently done with the conversation.

Krista didn't ask what Ymir meant. She simply shut the door and returned to the kitchen where she had been eating cereal and looking over the newspaper. It was spread out on the table beside her half eaten meal, and when Krista approached it she suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. She dumped the bowl into the sink and glanced over at the newspaper.

"**String of grisly murders still baffles police. Could it be the work of vicious animals or a psychotic killer?"**

The headline glared up at Krista. She had been reading the article detailing the many awful murders that had been happening over the year. It set her at unease, but she quickly shrugged it off and tossed the newspaper away. There was nothing she could do to help; that was for the police to handle.

What Krista was more concerned with was Ymir and Nanaba. Ymir seemed both angry and worried for her blonde mentor, and Nanaba seemed to be full of secrets. Krista was sharp enough to pick up on the tension. She just hoped the two weren't having a personal fight. They were like best friends, and Krista would be heartbroken if they threw that friendship away.

Krista wondered into the lounge and lingered on her laptop until a knock sounded at the door. Krista recognized it immediately. When she opened the door Nanaba stood there, towering over her and smiling softly. Despite the friendly smile she looked paler than usual.

"Nanaba! Come in. Are you okay? Adrian said that something happened."

Nanaba stepped into the house and chuckled. "He did? Guess he was serious then. Where is Ymir? I have something important to tell you both."

Krista's smile faltered at the seriousness in Nanaba's voice. "U-um she's out back training on her own- Oh, here she comes. She must have sensed you."

Ymir calmly walked into the lounge but paused when she noticed Nanaba. She gave the air a sniff and then her nose scrunched up. "I smell blood."

Krista's eyes widened in alarm.

Nanaba chuckled. "Yeah, nice observation. Can we sit?"

Ymir's eyes narrowed but she took a seat on the couch. Krista joined her side and Nanaba gingerly sat down on one of the single couches. Ymir watched the careful way that she moved and immediately noticed the edge of a bandage peeking out of her shirt by her shoulder. "What happened?" Ymir asked, worried.

Nanaba waved her hand. "Please, don't freak out. I was alone this morning and three lycans found me by coincidence. I fought them off and survived. I'm okay."

"On your own?!" Ymir roared. "Why the fuck didn't you call me?"

"Ymir, calm down." Krista said sternly and put a hand on her knee. The touch calmed Ymir, but her eyes were still glaring fiercely. "What are lycans doing here?" Krista asked.

Nanaba released a large sigh. "That's what I'm about to tell you."

Ymir's back straightened. She leaned forward and didn't comment; instead she stared levelly at Nanaba and waited for the blonde to finally tell her what was going on.

"It started a while ago," Nanaba began. "I've never really explained the whole situation between our species yet. See, lycans hate cynans, and vice versa. A year ago a pack of wolves moved into the city. I hoped that they would only pass through, but it seems that they're here to stay.

"There has been a string of strange murders and Adrian is certain that it's them. Nothing can mutilate like a lycan can. It's just strange that the only victims seem to be human males."

Krista's eyes widened slightly. She remembered the article she had just been reading. "So then, the serial killer the news is going on about…?"

Nanaba nodded. "It's them."

Ymir inhaled sharply. "So what, you've been hiding this from me all this time? Why?"

"I didn't want you involved," Nanaba answered. "I was sincerely hoping that they would leave, but they aren't and it's apparent that they're here to stay. They want this city for themselves. This means that two facts come into play." Nanaba scooted closer and lifted her hand, two fingers raised. She ticked each off as she spoke.

"Fact one; they will recruit all lycans in the area if there are any. If they don't want to join, they will drive them out, ignore them or kill them.

"Fact two; they will kill each and every cynan in the city until there are none left."

"Just kill?" Ymir asked. "Why the fuck do they have this weird vendetta against people they don't even fucking know?"

"Ymir, there's an entire history behind their behaviour. I'd explain it but I think it would be best for you to hear it from Adrian. He explained it to me and the others."

"The others?" Krista asked.

Nanaba grinned. "Did you think it was only the two of us? There are a few others around the city." Nanaba placed a hand on her still aching shoulder. "The fact that I have no choice but to tell you means that there is no more time to wait and hope. Ymir, I will need your help to gather a group of strong cynans in order to fight. I can feel that a battle will happen soon, and if we aren't ready we might as well slit each other's throats."

Ymir glanced down at her lap, deep in thought. She still didn't quite understand why Nanaba was so nervous about the bastards wanting the city. Were they that powerful? Did they hate her kind that much? But why?

"So Adrian decided he wants us all out of the city for a while. After the fight this morning the lycans might find our scent and decide to end the battle that was interrupted. There's a resort we can go to. Ymir, we will have to finish your training there as well, and introduce you to other cynans. We need to find a leader and then gather all available cynans into our group before the lycans strike."

Ymir absorbed all of that in, and then she lightly shook her head. She was upset, sure, but she didn't understand enough to start yelling like an idiot and acting like Nanaba was being a coward about this. She knew that Nanaba had gone through something at some point in her early life to feel so strongly about the lycans.

"When we get back," Ymir said. "I want Adrian to explain the history of our kind to me."

"And me too!" Krista added. The other two blinked when they remembered that she was there. Krista had been sitting so still that they had barely noticed her presence.

"Yeah, you too." Ymir said with a smile. She bent down and brushed their noses, making Krista giggle.

Nanaba looked away. "So we'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll be going in my car and you can follow me. Pack tonight so we can leave at first light."

"Oh wait, what about my interview? When will we be back?" Krista asked.

Nanaba shrugged. "By Wednesday? Thursday the latest if it still isn't safe to return."

Krista trusted Nanaba's word so she nodded in satisfaction and stood to walk over to the tall blonde. "Thank you for finally telling us, and I'm glad that you're okay." She wrapped her arms around Nanaba's neck and gave her a tight hug.

Nanaba chuckled and wrapped her arms around Krista's tiny waist. She marvelled at how small Krista was and then she caught Ymir's gaze and noticed the brunette's arched eyebrow.

"Okay, enough physical touching or Ymir might maul my face."

Krista laughed as she withdrew. "She would never, because she knows I wouldn't forgive her if she did." Krista leaned down and kissed Nanaba on the cheek. "You're now a part of my family, so I care about you too." She went over to Ymir and smoothed her frown with a finger. "Stop being jealous, you big softie."

Ymir rolled her eyes. "Right." She leaned in and claimed Krista's lips for a long minute, doing so to purposefully show off to Nanaba. The tall blonde clearly got the message. After she managed to wrestle Ymir's tongue out of her mouth, Krista turned to Nanaba, flushed, to ask a question.

"Nanaba, could I invite someone to go with?"

Nanaba grew thoughtful, and then she shrugged. "I suppose that's okay."

"Yay!"

Nanaba and Ymir grinned at Krista's excitement

"Well, I think I should head out to tell the others. Remember to pack and don't go out on your own."

Ymir stood with Krista in her arms and walked Nanaba to the door, ignoring the smaller woman's protests to be let down.

"Ymir!"

"Thank you for telling me," Ymir said to Nanaba.

Nanaba paused in the open doorway to grin. "I was an ass for hiding it."

"You were."

"I hope you forgive me."

"Let me down Ymir!"

"I do," Ymir said. She reached out to squeeze Nanaba's uninjured shoulder, and then she watched the blonde head down the steps towards her car. Ymir shut the door and kissed Krista to shut her up.

Krista pouted after. "Ymir, you meany."

Ymir smirked. "Poor little Krista." She flicked the blonde's forehead and dodged the knee aimed for her crotch. "Would that have even connected if I hadn't dodged? I think you're too short."

Krista groaned at the teasing and pulled a ball out from nowhere. She tossed it and before it even hit the floor at the far end of the house she yelled, "Fetch!" and Ymir bounded after it. By the time Ymir realized and yelled in anger, Krista was already cackling and dialling a familiar number. Ymir stormed into the room, yelling about how she wasn't a household pet and it wasn't fair for Krista to trick her.

"It isn't my fault you instinctively chased after it," Krista pointed out as she waited for the line to be picked up.

Ymir grumbled about something under her breath and then left the room to find something to eat in the kitchen. All the while she thought over what Nanaba had explained, and she wondered if everything would be okay.

Meanwhile Krista tapped her foot in impatience until the call was eventually answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Petra," Krista started. "How are you?"

"Oh, Krista! I'm great. A little tired, but great. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have a suggestion. Ymir and I are going away for a week to a resort with a friend. Would you like to come with?"

Petra, on her end, slumped her shoulders and sighed. "I'd really love to, cuz, but I have to work on an assignment and Levi has been bugging me none-stop. I don't think he would be impressed if I left him to go to a resort."

"Is he having problems with Eren again?"

"You guessed it. So why are you going away out of nowhere?"

Krista considered explaining the situation but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to, so she merely decided on the simplest answer. "It's a cynan problem."

Petra went silent, suddenly remembering her encounter with Ymir with vivid clarity, and then she cleared her throat. "I see, okay. Good luck with that. When will you be back?"

"Thursday."

"Okay. I have to go, since Levi's calling on the other line. You have fun with your lady and let me know if anything happens! I worry about you."

Krista smiled. "Thanks, I will. Bye."

"Bye!"

XxX

Petra sighed and answered the call from her brother. "Levi?"

"Where the hell were you? Taking a shit? I've been calling for the past five minutes."

Petra rolled her eyes and stood to walk over to the window. "No, I was in the shower and then Krista called. What's wrong?"

"That Eren is a real fucking moron. I don't even know why I'm with him. He stinks and he's noisy and he can't keep his room clean to save his life." Petra hummed to indicate she was listening, and sure enough Levi continued to rant.

She knew that despite his complaints he was weirdly attached to Eren, and he would never leave him. Again Petra sighed to herself, wondering when she would find her own special someone.

As Levi's monotone voice droned on, Petra glanced up at the bright sky, hoping for her own fairy-tale to start.


End file.
